LIBRARY    OF    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.     J. 
PRESENTED  BY 

Dr.  J.  Ross  Stevenson 


CO 


TY 


THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL       ^" 


A  Study  of  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 


BY        / 

HUGH  THOMSON  KERR,  D.D. 


THE  WOMANS  PRESS 

600  LEXINGTON  AVENUE 

NEW  YORK 

1918 


CopjTight,  1918,  by 

National  Board  of  the 

YoTJNQ  Women's  Christian  Associations 

OF  THE  United  States  of  America 


\ 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Study  I j 

Study  II 21 

Study  III 4g 

Study  IV gg 

Study  V 87 

Study  VI 104 

Study  VII ng 

Study  VIII 138 

Study  IX 161 

Study  X I79 


THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 


STUDY  I 

PROLEGOMENA 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  has  been  called  "The 
First  Apology  of  the  Christian  Church."  An  apology 
is  a  defense  or  vindication  of  that  for  which  one  con- 
tends. The  writer  is  the  first  Christian  Apologist, 
presenting  the  claims  of  the  Christian  religion  to  be 
the  complete  and  final  revelation  of  God.  This  Epis- 
tle preserves  for  us  the  first  reasoned  argument  for 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel.  It  calls  itself  "the  word  of 
exhortation"  (13:22).  It  was  written  to  strengthen 
wavering  Jewish  Christians  who  were  in  danger  of 
returning  to  their  former  faith. 

I.    The  Theme  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Verses  :  12  :l-2 

"Therefore  let  us  also,  seeing  we  are  compassed 
about  with  so  gi*eat  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  lay  aside 
every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset 


2  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  be- 
fore us,  looking  unto  Jesus  the  author  and  perfecter 
of  our  faith,  Who  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  Him 
endured  the  cross,  despising  shame,  and  hath  sat 
down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God." 

The  theme  of  the  Epistle  is  the  finality  of  the 
Christian  religion.  Christianity  is  the  supreme  re- 
ligion. In  the  setting  of  a  musical  symphony  through 
all  the  complexity  of  the  music  there  runs  the 
familiar  strain  of  a  constantly  recurring  theme.  The 
theme  dominates  the  music  and  binds  all  the  parts 
into  an  harmonious  unity.  It  is  so  with  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews.  The  language  is  majestically  and 
grandly  eloquent,  and  the  argiTment  flows  on  with 
cumulative  intensity,  but  always  through  the  complex 
and  intricate  thought  there  runs  the  simplicity  of  the 
theme.  The  notes  of  the  theme  are  struck  again  and 
again.  The  theme  is  the  supremacy  of  Jesus  Christ. 
After  the  introduction  has  gathered  itself  up  into  a 
triumphant  appeal  the  author  proclaims  his  message : 
"Wherefore,  holy  brethren,  partakers  of  a  heavenly 
calling,  consider  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our 
confession,  even  Jesus"  (3:1).  When  the  argument 
draws  to  its  inevitable  conclusion  there  is  his  fine 
finish:  "Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday  and  to- 
day, yea  and  for  ever"  (13 :8).  This  note  dominates 
the  thought  of  the  book.  Jesus  is  supreme.  This  is 
the  recurring  theme  in  the  music.     He  is  appointed 


PROLEGOMENA  3 

heir  of  all  things,  the  very  effulgence  of  God's  glory 
(1:3). 

Jesus  is  supreme.  All  else  is  secondary.  The 
words  "better  than,"  "more  excellent,"  are  the  key 
notes  in  the  theme.  Jesus  is  "better  than"  the  angels 
(1:4)  and  his  is  a  "more  excellent"  name  (1:4). 
Jesus  brings  men  to  a  "better  hope"  (7:19),  even  as 
He  is  "the  surety  of  a  better  covenant"  (7 :22).  His 
is  "a  ministry  the  more  excellent"  (8:6),  and  He  is 
also  the  "mediator  of  a  better  covenant"  (8:6),  the 
offerer  of  a  "better  sacrifice"  (9:23).  In  Jesus  a 
"better  country"  (11:16)  is  promised,  and  a  "better 
resurrection"  assured  (11 :35).  The  Epistle  is  one  of 
the  most  eloquent  arguments  in  literature,  and  the 
theme  of  the  entire  argument  is  Jesus. 

Suggestion:  Select  references  from  the  Epistle 
that  bear  upon  the  theme.  Relate  the  theme  to  the 
words  of  the  wonderful  hymn  attributed  to  Bernard 
of  Clairvaux  (11th  century),  "Jesus  the  very  thought 
of  Thee." 

The  theme  of  the  hymn  and  of  the  Epistle  are  the 
same. 

II.  The  Purpose  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Vekses:  4:14-16 

"Having  then  a  great  high  priest,  who  hath 
passed  through  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God, 


4  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

let  us  hold  fast  our  confession.  For  we  have  not 
a  high  priest  that  cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling 
of  our  infirmities;  but  one  that  hath  been  in  all 
points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.  Let 
us  therefore  draw  near  with  boldness  unto  the  throne 
of  grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy,  and  may  find 
grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need." 

Why  was  this  Epistle  written?  We  seek  the  an- 
swer from  the  message  which  the  book  contains.  The 
author  calls  it  "the  word  of  exhortation"   (13:22). 

The  people  to  whom  the  Epistle  was  addressed 
were  Hebrew  Christians.  Christ  had  been  a  reality 
to  them.  They  are  addressed  as  "holy  brethren" 
(3:1).  The  "good  tidings"  had  been  preached  to 
them  (4:2).  They  had  been  "enlightened"  and  had 
"tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,"  and  had  been  "par- 
takers of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and  "tasted  the  good  word 
of  God"  and  "the  powers  of  the  age  to  come"  (6:4^ 
5).  They  are  urged  to  "press  on  unto  perfection" 
(6:1),  and  are  commended  for  their  work  and  the 
love  which  they  showed  "toward  his  name,  in  that 
they  ministered  unto  the  saints,  and  still  do  minis- 
ter" (6:10).  Altogether  their  record  has  been  com- 
mendable. 

Danger,  however,  threatened  them.  They  had 
endured  a  great  "conflict  of  sufferings,"  had  en- 
dured "reproaches  and  afflictions/'  and  had  taken 
even  "joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  possessions"  (10 : 


PROLEGOMENA  5 

32-34).  But  now  they  were  in  danger  of  losing 
heart,  and  even  in  danger  of  "falling  away  from  the 
living  God"  (3  :12).  The  hope  of  the  second  coming 
of  Christ  in  which  they  trusted  was  being  unduly  de- 
layed (10:35-38). 

The  writer  fears  they  will  "drift  away"  (2:1) 
and  "harden  their  heart"  through  "disobedience" 
(4:7).  He  urges  them  not  to  refuse  "God's  call" 
(12:25)  lest  they  should  "crucify  to  themselves  the 
Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame" 
(6:6).  His  admonition  frequently  reiterated  is 
"hold  fast  your  confidence  unto  the  end." 

The  reason  assigned  for  this  grievous  state  of  af- 
fairs is  very  evident.  Their  Christijm  life  had  suf- 
fered  arrested  development.  They  had  ceased  to 
".grow  in  grace."  They  should  have  become  teachers 
of  others  but  were  still  in  the  kindergarten  being 
taught  the  first  principles  of  the  faith  (5:12;  6:1). 
Consequently  they  had  lost  interest  in  religion  (2  :3  ; 
6:12).  They  had  become  suspicious  and  critical  of 
their  leaders  (13:17),  and  a  worldly  spirit  was 
crowding  out  the  Spirit  of  Christ  (12:16).  The 
danger  was  imminent  and  the  warnings  were  oppor- 
tune. 

The  situation  here  described  is  the  commonest  of 
all  religious  situations.  Dr.  Andrew  Murray  is 
quite  within  fhe  truth  ^wHen  he  says  that  the  con- 
dition of  these  early  Christians  was  very  much  what 


6  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

has  been  the  story  of  almost  every  church.  It  is  the 
story  of  religious  awakening,  of  difficult  and  danger- 
ous conditions,  of  temptation  ajjd  trial,  of  neglect 
and  indifference,  of  the  world  being  "too  much  with 
us,"  of  having  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God, 
and  having  "done  despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace" 
(10:29).  For  such  a  condition  there  is  only  one 
safeguard,  and  it  is  found  in  the  message  of  this 
Epistle.  "Having^Jhen  a  great  high  priest,  who 
hath  passed  through  the  heavens,  Jesus^the  Son 
of  God,  let  us  hold  fast  our  confession." 

Suggestion:  Tabulate  the  charges  which  the  au- 
thor makes.  Kelate  these  charges  to  the  words  of 
the  ancient  Litany:  "That  it  may  please  thee  to 
strengthen  such  as  do  stand;  and  to  comfort  and 
help  the  weak-hearted;  and  to  raise  up  them  who 
fall;  and  finally  to  beat  down  Satan  under  our 
feet;  we  beeseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord." 

III.  The  Argument  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Verses:  13:20-21 

"Now  the  God  of  peace,  who  brought  again  from 
the  dead  the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep  with  the 
blood  of  the  eternal  covenant,  even  our  Lord  Jesus, 
make  you  perfect  in  every  good  thing  to  do  his  will, 
working  in  us  that  which  is  well-pleasing  in  his 
sight,  through  Jesus  Christ;  to  whom  be  the  glory 
for  ever  and  ever." 


PROLEGOMENA  7 

The  author  is  writing  to  Jewish  Christians  who 
are  in  danger  of  falling  away  from  the  faith  of 
Christ.  They  are  like  ships  at  sea  tossed  by  the 
storms  of  persecution  and  religious  doubt,  and  he 
bids  them  lay  hold  again  on  Christ  as  the  very 
anchor  of  their  souls  (6:19). 

His  argument  is  simplicity  itself,  and  he  goes 
on  unhindered  to  his  great  conclusion.  Cling  to 
Christ,  he  says.  Hold  Him  fast.  He  is  the  final 
revelation  of  God's  own  character,  the  effulgence 
of  his  glory,  and  the  very  image  of  his  substance 
(1:3).  All  things  head  up  in  Christ.  "Jesus  Christ 
is  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day,  yea  and  forever" 
(13:8).  Cling  to  Him.  The  world  changes.  Phi- 
losophies change.  JN^ations  come  and  go.  He  abides. 
It  is  a  message  for  such  a  time  as  that  through  which 
we  ourselves  are  now  living.  In  Him  the  things 
that  cannot  be  shaken  remain  (12:27).  Jesus  has 
opened  the  way  to  God.  He  is  the  "new  and  living 
way"  (10:20).  The  final  test  of  all  religion  is  its 
ability  to  bring  us  into  the  immediate  presence  of 
God.  "Jesus/'  in  the  words  of  Dr.  Bruce,  "obtains 
for  us  free,  unrestricted,  access  to  God."  Wesley's 
words  are  interpretive  of  the  author's  thought. 

"Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want, 
More  than  all  in  Thee  I  find." 

Writing  to  Hebrew  Christians  versed  in  the  Ian- 


8  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

guage  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  argument  is  set 
in  the  mold  of  Jewish  thought.  It  will  he  our  pur- 
pose to  see  the  reality  in  the  symbolism.  Christianity 
has  supplanted  Judaism  by  transforming  and  com- 
pletely fulfilling  it.  Judaism  was  the  shadow ;  Chris- 
tianity is  the  substance.  Judaism  was  temporary; 
Christianity  is  the  abiding.  Judaism  was  the  ma- 
terial; Christianity  is  the  spiritual.  Judaism  was 
the  dream;  Christianity  is  the  reality.  Judaism 
was  old  and  ready  to  vanish  away  (8:13);  Chris- 
tianity is  a  kingdom  that  cannot  be  shaken  (12:28). 
This  contrast  is  reiterated.  The  law  of  the  Old 
Testament  made  nothing  perfect  (7:19),  but  Jesus 
became  "the  surety  of  a  better  covenant"  (7:22). 
Christianity  belongs  to  the  age  to  come  (6:5)  which 
has  no  reference  to  time  but  to  the  eternal  realities 
of  the  spirit.  Religion  is  interpreted  in  terms  of 
a  covenant  relation.  A  covenant  is  a  bond  of 
fellowship.  Judaism  is  the  old  covenant  or  fel- 
lowship, but  Christ  is  the  "mediator  of  a  better 
covenant — a  better  fellowship"  (7:22).  The  old 
was  mediated  by  angels,  but  the  new  by  God's  own 
Son  (1:2).  The  old  was  inaugurated  by  weak  and 
imperfect  men,  such  as  Moses  and  Joshua,  who  prom- 
ised the  people  rest  but  could  never  secure  it  for 
them  (3:11),  but  Jesus  brings  his  people  into  the 
very  presence  of  God  Himself  (9:24).  The  priest- 
hood of  the  old  covenant  was   a  changing,   dying 


PKOLEGOMEN^A  9 

priesthood,  but  Jesus  "because  He  abideth  forever 
hath  his  priesthood  unchangeable"  (7:23-24).  Ho 
holds  authority  "after  the  power  of  an  endless  life" 
(7:16).  The  tabernacle  with  its  holy  place  was 
built  by  human  hands,  but  "Christ  entered  not  into 
a  holy  place  made  with  hands,  like  in  pattern  to  the 
true;  but  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  before 
the  face  of  God  for  us"  (9:24).  The  ancient  sacri- 
fices were  of  the  "blood  of  bulls  and  goats"  and  could 
never  take  away  sin  (10:4),  but  once  at  the  end 
of  the  ages  hath  Christ  been  manifest  to  put  away 
sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself.  Through  his  sacri- 
fice we,  his  brethren,  may  with  "boldness  enter 
into  the  holy  place  (God's  presence)  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  by  the  way  which  He  dedicated  for  us, 
a  new  and  living  way"  (10 :19-20).  The  end  of  true 
religion  is  to  bring  men  to  God.  Because  Christ 
does  this,  his  Gospel  is  God's  final  revelation  and 
meets  man's  last  need. 

"This  hath  He  done  and  shall  we  not  adore  Him? 
This  shall  He  do  and  can  we  still  despair? 
Come  let  us  quickly  fling  ourselves  before  Him, 
Cast  at  his  feet  the  burden  of  our  care." 

Suggestion  :  Consider  carefully  what  is  involved 
in  speaking  of  Christianity  as  the  final  religion.  If 
you  could  truthfully  say  of  Christ,  "All  I  need  in 


10  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Thee  I  find,"  would  that  prove  the  finality  of  the 

Gospel  ? 

IV.  The  First  Readers  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Veeses  :  10 :24-25 

"And  let  us  consider  one  another  to  provoke  unto 
love  and  good  works;  not  forsaking  our  own  as- 
sembling together,  as  the  custom  of  some  is,  but 
exhorting  one  another ;  and  so  much  the  more,  as  ye 
see  the  day  drawing  nigh." 

The  title  of  the  Epistle  in  the  Authorized  Version 
is  "The  Epistle  of  Paul,  the  Apostle,  to  the  He- 
brews." The  title  in  the  Revised  Version  is  "To 
the  Hebrews."  The  Revised  Version  of  course  is 
right.  Who,  then,  were  the  Hebrews  to  whom  this 
Epistle  was  written  ?  The  superscription  of  the 
Authorized  Version  is  "Written  to  the  Hebrews  from 
Italy  by  Timothy."  There  is  no  superscription  in 
the  Revised  Version,  and  again  it  is  right. 

The  reference,  "They  of  Italy  salute  you"  (13 :24) 
may  mean  Italians  in  Italy,  or  Italians  away  from 
Italy,  and  so  we  are  left  to  search  for  the  destina- 
tion of  the  Epistle  and  the  condition  of  the  readers 
from  other  references. 

Where  did  these  Jewish  Christians  live  to  whom 
this  important  message  was  sent  ?  The  conditions  to 
be  fulfilled  are  found  in  the  Epistle.     These  Jewish 


PROLEGOMENA  11 

Christians  had  not  received  the  Gospel  from  Christ 
Himself,  but  from  his  immediate  disciples  (2:4). 
This  one  fact  would  make  it  impossible  for  Jerusa- 
lem to  be  the  destination  of  the  Epistle,  for  the 
Christians  of  Jerusalem  received  the  Gospel  from 
Christ  Himself.  They  belonged,  however,  to  the 
first  generation  of  Christians  although  their  first 
leaders  had  passed  into  the  great  beyond.  In  chap- 
ter 10 :32-39,  the  former  condition  of  the  readers 
is  graphically  pointed  out.  They  had  been  happy- 
hearted  Christians  until  persecution  and  suffering 
had  worn  out  their  patience  and  shadowed  their 
faith.  They  had,  however,  "not  yet  resisted  unto 
blood,  striving  against  sin"  (12:5).  This  passage 
may  refer  to  martyrdom,  or  be  a  metaphor,  sug- 
gesting the  last  limit  of  endurance.  If  it  referred 
to  martyrdom  then  it  would  be  difficult  to  consider 
Rome  as  the  destination,  for  there  martyrdom  was 
early  experienced  and  glorified.  On  the  other  hand 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  why  the  author  should 
send  the  salutations  of  those  "of  Italy"  if  the  Epistle 
had  no  connection  with  Italy,  and  if  with  Italy,  then 
with  Rome.  The  readers  are  advised  to  keep  up 
their  church  worship,  not  "forsaking  our  own  as- 
sembling together,  as  the  custom  of  some  is"  (10: 
25),  and  the  suggestion  has  been  made  that  this 
reference  is  to  the  habit  of  forsaking  their  ovna 
church  for  other  churches  in  the  same  city.     The 


12  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

reference  would  then  be  to  a  single  Jewish  Christian 
congregation  in  a  large  city.  Rome  more  than 
any  other  city  meets  the  condition.  There  were 
Jewish  colonies  there.  Persecution  and  suffering 
were  common  among  the  Jewish  Christians  of  Rome. 
The  reference  to  Timothy  (13:23)  would  be  under- 
stood. Certain  it  is  that  the  first  reference  we  find 
to  the  Epistle  is  in  Rome,  and  in  Rome  also  we  find, 
as  Dr.  Davidson  has  said,  "the  consistent  denial  there 
of  its  Pauline  authorship." 

SuGGESTioisr :  Select  passages  which  show  clearly 
that  the  writer  knew  intimately  the  people  to  whom 
he  was  writing  and  identified  himself  with  them. 
JSTote  the  constant  appeal,  "Let  us  fear"  (4:1),  "Let 
us  give  diligence"  (4:11),  "Let  us  hold  fast"  (4:14), 
"Let  us  draw  near"  (4:16),  "Let  us  consider" 
(10:24).  Are  we  best  able  to  help  those  with  whose 
situations  we  are  most  familiar? 


V.  The  Author  and  Date  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Verses:  4:14—16 

"Having  then  a  great  high  priest,  who  hath  passed 
through  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  let  us 
hold  fast  our  confession.  For  we  have  not  a  high 
priest  that  cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our 
infirmities ;  but  one  that  hath  been  in  all  points  tempt- 
ed like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.     Let  us  there- 


PROLEGOMENA  13 

fore  draw  near  with  boldness  unto  the  throne  of 
grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy,  and  may  find 
grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need." 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  anonymous.  We 
do  not  know  and  probably  shall  never  know  who 
wrote  the  most  eloquent  and  most  fascinating  book 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  words  which  Dr.  Da- 
vidson has  used  concerning  the  authorship  of  the 
book  of  Job  have  been  applied  to  this  Epis- 
tle. "There  are  some  minds  that  cannot  put  up  with 
uncertainty,  and  are  under  the  necessity  of  deluding 
themselves  into  quietude  by  fixing  on  some  known 
name.  There  are  others  to  whom  it  is  a  comfort 
to  think  that  in  this  omniscient  age  a  few  things 
still  remain  mysterious.  Uncertainty  is  to  them 
more  suggestive  than  exact  knowledge.  No  litera- 
ture has  so  many  great  anonymous  works  as  that 
of  Israel.  The  religious  life  of  this  people  was  at 
certain  periods  very  intense,  and  at  these  periods 
the  spiritual  energy  of  the  nation  expressed  itself 
almost  impersonally,  through  men  who  forgot  them- 
selves and  were  speedily  forgotten  in  name  by  oth- 
ers." 

Attempts,  however,  to  discover  the  authorship  have 
not  been  wanting.  The  first  evidence  we  have  of  the 
existence  of  the  Epistle  is  about  95  A.D.  in  the 
letter  of  Clement  of  Rome  to  the  church  in  Corinth, 
but  no  reference  to  the  author  is  made.     In  the 


14  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Koman  church  it  was  not  until  the  time  of  Jerome 
and  Augustine  (4th  century)  that  the  name  of  Paul 
was  connected  with  the  authorship.  In  the  North 
African  churches,  Tertullian,  220  A.D.,  assigned  the 
authorship  of  the  Epistle  to  Barnabas.  At  Alex- 
andria the  authorship  was  early  ascribed  to  Paul 
with  the  explanation,  however,  that  some  other  hand 
than  Paul's  gave  it  to  us  in  its  present  form.  Origen, 
of  the  third  century,  usually  ascribes  the  Epistle  to 
Paul,  with  the  suggestion  that  the  thought  is  Paul's, 
but  that  some  other  hand  put  it  into  its  present  form. 
He  says,  "If  I  gave  my  opinion,  I  should  say  that 
the  thoughts  are  those  of  the  Apostle,  but  the  phras- 
ing and  composition  are  those  of  some  one  who  re- 
membered what  the  teacher  had  said.  If  then  any 
church  holds  this  Epistle  to  be  Paul's,  let  it  be 
commended  for  this.  For  not  without  reason  have 
our  predecessors  handed  it  down  as  Paul's.  But 
who  wrote  the  Epistle,  in  truth,  God  knows.  The 
account  that  has  reached  us  is,  that  some  say  it  was 
written  by  Clement  who  became  Bishop  of  the  Ro- 
mans, while  others  ascribed  it  to  Luke,  the  author 
of  the  Gospel  and  Acts." 

Why  the  name  of  Paul  became  associated  with 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  difficult  to  determine. 
It  is  probable  that  the  Jewish  atmosphere  of  the 
Epistle  had  much  to  do  with  it.  The  translation 
of  the  Old  Version  of  10:34  had  doubtless  some- 


PEOLEGOMENA  15 

tiling  to  do  with  it,  wliere,  instead  of  the  reading, 
"Ye  had  compassion  on  them  that  were  in  honds," 
the  words  read,  "Ye  had  compassion  of  me  in  my 
bonds."  The  mention  of  Timothy  also  at  the  close 
of  the  Epistle  would  naturally  associate  the  writing 
with  Paul.  The  reason,  however,  may  have  been 
that  in  the  early  history  of  the  canon  the  book  had 
to  come  into  its  place  under  the  cloak  of  an  Apostle, 
and  was  early  associated  with  the  Epistles  of  Paul. 

But  it  is  generally  conceded  that  the  book  could 
not  have  been  written  by  Paul.  Paul  always  au- 
thenticated his  Epistles.  The  book  has  more  sus- 
tained eloquence  than  is  characteristic  of  the  writ- 
ing of  Paul.  Expressions  and  points  of  view  are 
different.  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  whereas 
Paul  frequently  used  the  words  "Christ  Jesus,"  oc- 
curring as  it  does  ninety  times  in  his  Epistles,  that 
expression  is  entirely  absent  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews.  Apart  from  these  reasons  it  would  seem 
as  if  the  reference  in  2  :3  is  conclusive  against  the 
suggestion  that  Paul  is  the  author.  Paul  did  not 
receive  his  gospel  from  man,  but  from  Christ  Him- 
self, and  the  note  which  Paul  was  always  striking 
concerning  the  gospel  in  its  relation  to  the  Gentile 
•world  is  absent  from  this  Epistle. 

In  regard  to  the  authorship.  Dr.  Davidson  says, 
"Conjectures  have  multiplied,  but  no  new  facts  have 
emerged."     Luther  suggested  the  name  of  Apollos 


16  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

as  the  author,  and  many  have  been  drawn  to  his 
suggestion.  Apollos  was  eloquent  and  trained  in  the 
thought  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  In  recent  years  the 
names  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla  have  been  mentioned, 
as  well  as  Luke,  whose  language  in  certain  respects 
reminds  one  of  Hebrews,  but  the  authorship  still  re- 
mains in  obscurity,  and  it  may  be  that  it  never  can  be 
solved. 

Concerning  the  date  a  few  words  will  suffice.  Jeru- 
salem was  destroyed  A.D.  70.  From  the  wording  of 
10  :1  in  which  the  author  speaks  of  "the  same  sacri- 
fices year  by  year,  which  they  offer  continually," 
it  would  seem  as  if  those  sacrifices  were  still  going 
on  when  the  author  wrote.  This  would  date  the 
Epistle  before  A.D.  70.  In  12:27  we  have  the  sug- 
gestive words,  "And  this  word,  Yet  once  more,  sig- 
nifieth  the  removing  of  those  things  that  are  shaken, 
as  of  things  that  have  been  made,  that  those  things 
which  are  not  shaken  may  remain."  It  would  seem 
as  if  the  end  of  the  Jewish  economy  were  imminent. 
Clement  of  Eome  referred  to  the  Epistle  A.D.  90. 
This  is  the  earliest  reference  to  it  which  we  possess. 
The  Epistle  should  therefore  be  dated  somewh^e 
between  the  death  of  Paul  and  A.D.  90.  It  is  more 
frequently  dated  between  the  years  62  and  67. 

Suggestion"  :  Would  you  consider  the  question  of 
authorship  to  be  one  of  importance?    Does  the  fact 


PROLEGOMENA  17 

that  the  hymn,  ''Come,  Thou  Almighty  King"  is 
anonymous,  take  from  it  anything  of  value  or  power  ? 
In  what  way  would  the  knowledge  of  the  authorship 
be  helpful  to  us  in  the  study  of  the  Epistle  ? 

VI.  The  Outline  of  the  Epistle 

Memory  Verses  :  10 :35-36 

"Cast  not  away  therefore  your  boldness,  which 
hath  great  recompense  of  reward.  For  ye  have  need 
of  patience,  that,  having  done  the  will  of  God,  ye 
may  receive  the  promise." 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  divides  itself  naturally 
into  two  parts.  The  second  part  begins  at  chapter 
10,  verse  19.  The  first  part  is  mainly  concerned 
with  doctrine,  although  after  each  doctrinal  advance 
there  is  a  short  practical  exhortation.  The  second 
part  concerns  itself  altogether  with  practical  exhor- 
tation and  warning.  The  outline  suggested  for  study 
in  this  text-book  is  here  given. 

Subject:  The  Supreme  Gospel 

Study  I. — The  Supreme  Gospel — Prolegomena. 

PART  I:  THE  ARGUMENT  (1:1  to  10:18) 

Study  II. — The  Supreme  Revelation  (1:1  to  2:18). 
The  First  Arjniment. 


18  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Study  III.     The    Supreme    Kedemption    (3:1    to 

4:13).     The  Second  Argument. 
Study    IV.     The    Supreme    Fellowship    (4:14    to 

6:20).     The  Third  Argument. 
Study  V.    The  Supreme  Personality  (7:1-28).    The 

Third  Argument  (continued). 
Study  VL     The  Supreme  Ministry  (8:1  to  9:14). 

The  Third  Argument   (continued). 
Study  VIL  The  Supreme  Sacrifice  (9 :15  to  10 :18). 

The  Third  Argument  (concluded). 

PAKT  II:  THE  EXHORTATIO:^' 

(10:19  to  13:25) 

Study   VIII.      The    Supreme   Reality    (10:19    to 

11:40). 
Study  IX.     The  Supreme  Culture  (12  :l-29). 
Study  X.    The  Supreme  Challenge  (13:1-25). 

Suggestion  :     Eead  the  entire  Epistle  through  at 
one  sitting  with  this  outline  in  mind. 

VII.  The  Supreme  Gospel 

Questions  and  Conclusions 

1.  What  is  meant  by  calling  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,  "The  First  Apology  for  Christianity"? 

2.  What  is  the  theme  of  the  Epistle  ? 

3.  Is  the  purpose  of  the  Epistle  to  prove  an  ar- 
gument or  to  influence  conduct  ? 


PKOLEGOMENA  19 

4.  In  this  Epistle  what  relation  does  Christianity 
bear  to  Judaism?  Does  Christianity  bear  a  sim- 
ilar relation  to  other  religions  ? 

5.  What  were  the  circumstances  and  moral  con- 
ditions of  those  to  whom  this  Epistle  was  first  sent? 

6.  Give  reasons  for  holding  that  the  author  of 
the  Epistle  was  not  Paul. 

7.  How  do  you  determine  the  approximate  date 
of  the  Epistle? 

8.  Give  in  outline  the  analysis  of  the  Epistle 
followed  in  this  text-book. 

Reference  Books 

Text:  The  Revised  Version  of  the  Bible.  This  is 
essential  and  by  following  it  many  explanations 
of  the  Authorized  Version  are  rendered  unneces- 
sary. Moffatt's  "A  Xew  Translation  of  the  New 
Testament,"  will  be  found  suggestive  and  help- 
ful. 

Commentaries:  A.  B.  Davidson,  "The  Epistle  to  the 

Hebrews,"  Scribner  (T.  &  T.  Clark),  $1.10. 

A.  S.  Peake,  "The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,"  The 

!N'ew  Century  Bible,  Henry  Frowde,  90  cents. 

Hastings   Bible   Dictionary,    article,    "Epistle   to 

the  Hebrews." 

Suggestions  to  Students 
1.  The  first  thing  necessary  to  obtain  a  grasp  of 


20  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

the  Epistle  is  to  become  familiar  with  the  Epistle 
itself.  Read  it  -until  its  words  and  messages  are  your 
own. 

2.  The  wording  of  many  of  the  truths  of  the 
Epistle  are  in  the  language  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Words  are  symbols.  Endeavor  always  to  find  the 
reality  behind  the  symbol. 

3.  Hide  away  in  memory  the  great  central  verses 
of  the  Epistle.  Such  memory  work  will  aid  both 
diction  and  devotion. 

4.  Lift  your  thought  occasionally  from  the  way 
in  which  the  Epistle  expresses  a  truth  to  the  way 
in  which  Jesus  and  the  Apostles  express  the  same 
truth. 


Praper 

O  Lord,  Thy  word  endures  amid  the  changes  of 
time.  Its  message  abides  because  Christ  abides.  He 
is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  yea.  He  will  be  the 
same  forever.  As  a  face  through  a  lattice  may  we 
see  Him  who  was  revealed  to  these  first  century 
Christians,  and  may  He  who  was  their  Leader  bring 
us  into  the  abiding  fellowship  of  the  Father.    Amen. 


STUDY  II 
THE  SUPREME  REVELATION 
1:1—2:18 

The  first  of  three  great  sections  into  which  the 
argument  of  the  Epistle  is  divided  covers  chapters  1 
and  2.  The  second  section,  chapter  3  to  the  13th 
verse  of  chapter  4.  The  third  section,  from  chapter 
4,  verse  14,  to  verse  18  of  chapter  10.  The  first 
section  contrasts  and  compares  Jesus  as  the  only 
revealer  of  God,  with  the  revelation  given  through 
angels  and  prophets. 

The  Epistle  starts  without  introduction  and  pre- 
sents Jesus  as  the  supreme  revelation  of  God.  He 
is  "the  effulgence  of  his  glory,  and  the  very  image 
of  his  substance"  (1:3).  The  revelation  of  God, 
in  Him,  is  final  and  complete.  All  previous  revela- 
tion was  piecemeal  and  fragmentary  (1:2).  Even 
the  angels  were  merely  servants  commissioned  by 
God  to  mediate  his  message  to  man.  Christ  alone 
unveils  the  face  of  the  Father.  Compare  II  Cor. 
4:16. 

The  purpose  of  this  argument,  as  of  all  other  ar- 


22  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

guments  in  the  Epistle,  is  practical.  Keeping  in 
mind  the  mental  and  spiritual  condition  of  the  first 
readers,  we  shall  be  able  to  understand  the  urgency 
of  both  warning  and  exhortation.  The  argument  is 
to  the  effect  that  if  the  revelation  of  God  in  Jesus 
is  supreme  and  final,  the  result  will  be  disastrous 
to  those  who,  possessing  this  final  and  complete  rev- 
elation, "drift  away"  (2:1)  from  it  and  fall  back 
upon  that  which  is  incomplete,  and  which  finds  its 
very  fulfilment  in  Jesus. 

Suggestion:  Eead  carefully  chapters  1  and  2, 
and  note  the  important  differences  between  the  Re- 
vised and  the  Authorized  Versions. 

1.  The  Fact  of  Revelation  (1  :l-2) 

Memory  Veeses:  1:1-2 

"God,  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the  fathers 
in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers 
manners,  hath  at  the  end  of  these  days  spoken  unto 
us  in  a  Son." 

The  first  four  verses  of  the  Epistle  are  among  the 
most  important  in  the  whole  Bible.  A  proper  under- 
standing of  these  will  save  Bible  students  many  per- 
plexities. The  first  three  sections  of  this  first  study 
will  be  given  to  the  interpretation  of  these  significant 
verses. 


THE  SUPKEME  EEVELATION^         23 

Tlie  outstanding  fact  of  the  Christian  religion  is 
stated  in  the  words,  "God  hath  spoken."  "There  is 
one  striking  difference  between  Christianity  and  the 
other  religions/'  says  Professor  Glover  in  "The  Je- 
sus of  History/'  "in  that  the  others  start  with  the 
idea  that  God  is  known.  Christians  do  not  so  start." 
Christianity  is  a  revealed  religion.  Men  have  not 
discovered  God.    God  has  disclosed  Himself  to  men. 

While  it  is  true  that  humanity  has  always  been 
searching  after  God,  it  is  equally  true  that  God  has 
been  searching  for  man,  and  the  most  fundamental 
fact  about  the  Gospel  is  that  it  discloses  God.  The 
great  Gospel  fact  is  that  God  is  a  Seeker.  The 
words  of  Pascal  are  far  reaching:  "Thou  wouldst 
not  now  be  seeking  Him  if  thou  hadst  not  already 
been  found  of  Him." 

No  man  cometh  unto  God  the  Father  save  through 
Jesus  (John  14:6).  The  cry  of  the  centuries  has 
ever  been,  "O  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him" 
(Job  23:3),  and  the  accompanying  answer  has  been 
constantly  repeated,  "Canst  thou  by  searching  find 
out  God?"  (Job  11:7-9).  Across  the  page  of  his- 
tory it  is  clearly  declared  that  the  knowledge  of  God 
has  come  through  God's  imveiling  of  Himself; 
through  revelation,  not  through  evolution. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  begins  by  asserting 
this  great  fact.     "God  hath  spoken."     The  author 


24  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

takes  for  granted  that  the  revelation  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  all  of  a  piece  with  that  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  same  God  who  spoke  through  the  proph- 
ets speaks  also  through  the  Son.  The  assertion  of 
the  Psalmist,  "The  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge" 
(Psalm  46:7),  is  true  for  the  children  of  God, 
through  all  the  centuries.  Perhaps,  in  the  Epistle, 
this  idea  accounts  for  the  frequent  mention  of  God 
as  "the  living  God." 

The  fact  of  revelation  takes  for  granted  two  great 
^  fundamental  truths — the  personality  of  God  and  the 
y  personality  of  man.  If  God  is  a  true  personality, 
then  He  has  not  only  the  power  but  also  the  desire 
to  reveal  Himself.  Personality  is  the  pledge  of 
revelation  and  revelation  is  the  proof  of  personality. 
All  personality  is  self-revealing.  By  action  and  by 
word,  personality  lifts  the  veil  from  its  own  face. 
On  the  other  hand,  revelation  involves  a  power  of 
receptivity  on  the  part  of  man.  It  involves  the  ca- 
pacity on  man's  part  for  fellowship  and  communion 
with  God,  and  the  reception  and  comprehension  of 
the  revelation.  We  understand  God  for  the  same  rea- 
son that  we  understand  those  who  speak  our  language. 
We  are  like  Him.  We  are  made  in  his  image,  after 
his  likeness.  This  likeness  in  life  and  spirit  makes 
possible  the  fact  of  revelation  on  God's  part,  and 
the  life  of  fellowship  and  prayer  on  man's  part. 


THE  SUPREME  REVELATION         25 

"Speak  to  Him  thou  for  He  hears, 
And  spirit  with  Spirit  may  meet ; 
Closer  is  He  than  breathing, 

And  nearer  than  hands  and  feet." 

Suggestion  :  The  Epistle  frequently  refers  to 
Revelation  as  a  "speaking"  of  God  (2:2-3;  3:5; 
4:8;  12:25).  Thus  it  comes  about  that  the  Revela- 
tion of  God  is  called  the  Word  of  God  (4:12;  6:5; 
13:7).  What  God  "speaks"  men  should  "hear" 
(2 :1 ;  3 :7,  16 ;  4 :2,7).  Let  us  make  this  our  prayer, 
"Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth"  (I  Sam. 
3:9). 

II.  The  Progress  of  Revelation  (1:1-2) 

Memory  Verses:  1:1-2 

"God,  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the  fa- 
thers in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers 
manners,  hath  at  the  end  of  these  days  spoken  unto 
us  in  a  Son,  whom  he  appointed  heir  of  all  things, 
through  whom  also  he  made  the  worlds." 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  claims  that  the  rev- 
elation of  the  Old  Testament  and  that  of  the  ]^ew 
Testament  are  one  revelation.  The  same  God  who 
"spoke"  in  the  Old  Testament  "speaks"  also  in  the 
New.  There  is,  however,  an  essential  difference  be- 
tween the  two  revelations.     The  Old  is  incomplete 


26  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

without  the  New.  What  is  suggested  in  the  Old  is 
fulfilled  in  the  New.  God  began  to  speak  forth  his 
message  in  times  past,  and  concluded  that  message 
in  Christ,  the  eternal  Word,  the  Word  made  flesh. 
Christ  is  the  completion  of  the  revelation  of  God 
carried  on  through  the  centuries. 

This  fact  of  progress  involves  the  inadequacy  of 
the  Old  Testament  revelation.  In  as  far  as  it  has 
not  been  completed  it  is  imperfect.  Only  in  Jesus 
does  God  perfectly  disclose  Himself,  and  only  in 
the  New  Testament  do  we  find  God's  last  word  on 
religion  and  morals.  We  will  not  expect  to  find 
in  the  Old  Testament  the  full  developed  doctrines  of 
grace  revealed  to  us  in  the  cross  of  Christ.  What 
we  shall  find  there  will  be  prophetic  and  suggestive 
of  better  things  to  come.  It  is  not  enough  to  jus- 
tify conduct  by  an  appeal  to  Old  Testament  ethics. 
Conduct,  individual,  social,  and  national,  must  be 
judged  in  the  presence  of  Jesus. 

These  truths  are  finely  developed  in  these  first 
verses  of  the  Epistle.  The  verses  are  balanced  and 
suggest  far-reaching  comparisons.  The  comparison 
is  fourfold. 

1.  In  times  past — in  these  last  days. 

2.  TJnto  the  fathers — unto  us. 

3.  In  the  prophets — in  a  Son. 

4.  Having  spoken  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers 
manners — ^hath  spoken  (once  for  all). 


THE  SUPREME  REVELATION"         27 

We  shall  examine  briefly  each  of  these  suggestive 
comparisons. 

1.  The  first  comparison  relates  to  the  time  ele- 
ment. It  is  important  to  recog-nize  that  centuries 
have  elapsed  since  God  first  spoke  to  man,  and  in 
Christ  the  same  God  still  speaks.  The  revelation  of 
the  Old  Testament  and  that  of  the  New  recognize 
the  same  fountain  head.  To  the  author  of  the  Epis- 
tle there  are  only  two  time  periods,  "the  time  past" 
and  "these  days,"  the  past  and  the  present,  the  old 
and  the  new.  The  one  period  belongs  to  the  history 
of  the  Old  Testament,  the  other  to  that  of  the  New 
Testament. 

2.  The  second  comparison  has  to  do  with  the  re- 
cipients of  the  revelation.  The  old  was  given  unto 
"the  fathers,"  the  new,  "unto  us."  The  fathers  are 
the  Hebrew  ancestors,  for  the  Epistle  is  written  to 
Hebrews.  The  period  represented  covers  the  whole 
of  the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  while  the  period 
represented  by  "unto  us"  relates  to  the  definite  his- 
torical manifestation  of  Christ  in  the  days  of  his 
flesh. 

3.  The  third  comparison  is  highly  important.  It 
is  rather  a  contrast.  The  revelation  in  times  past 
was  given  unto  men  "through  the  prophets."  The 
final  revelation  was  given  "in  a  Son,"  who  is  the 
very  effulgence  of  his  glory,  the  express  image  of 
his  person.     It  is  necessary  to  understand  what  the 


28  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Bible  means  by  "prophet."  A  prophet  is  one  who 
speaks  for  another.  Aaron  was  Moses'  prophet  (Ex. 
7:1).  The  prophet  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  one  who  speaks  for  God.  Moses  ex- 
pressed the  wish  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were 
prophets  (ISTum.  11:29).  The  prophet  speaks  for 
God.  He  is  God's  mouthpiece,  God's  spokesman. 
His  mission  is  to  report  what  he  hears.  He  is  a 
forth-teller.  The  idea  of  foretelling  is  secondary. 
Indeed,  he  is  a  fore-teller  because  he  is  a  forth- 
teller.  The  revelation  of  the  Old  Testament  was 
given  through  prophets  who  reported  what  they 
heard.  On  the  other  hand,  the  revelation  of  the  E"ew 
Testament  came  through  the  Son.  "Last  of  all  He 
sent  a  Son"  (Matt.  21:37).  Christ,  then,  is  the 
last  and  greatest  of  the  prophets. 

4.  The  fourth  comparison  deals  with  the  method 
of  revelation.  In  times  past  God  spoke  "by  divers 
portions  and  in  divers  manners,"  or  as  it  has  been 
translated  "in  various  parts  and  in  many  forms." 
The  revelation  of  the  Old  Testament  was  piecemeal 
and  fragmentary.  While  the  verse  suggests  the 
"rich  and  varied  fulness"  of  the  Old  Testament  rev- 
elation, it  also  suggests  the  idea  of  incompleteness 
and  inadequacy.  The  revelation  in  the  past  was 
given  only  in  part  and  in  portions  and  could  not 
therefore  be  complete.  ISTo  one  prophet  completely 
sets  forth  the  Gospel.     The  revelation  through  the 


THE  SUPREME  EEVELATION"         20 

prophets  was  given  in  many  forms,  in  parable,  in 
psalm,  in  vision,  in  dream,  in  history,  in  miracle,  in 
human  life.  God  employed,  as  it  were,  many  lan- 
guages in  his  endeavor  to  teach  Himself.  The  rev- 
elation in  Christ,  however,  was  final.  Christ,  Him- 
self, was  the  Word  made  flesh  (John  1:14).  He 
that  hath  seen  Christ  hath  seen  God  (John  14:0). 
The  idea  of  progressive  revelation  is  fundamental 
to  the  proper  understanding  of  this  Epistle.  It  is 
the  principle  of  interpretation  which  the  author  ap- 
plies to  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  The  same 
principle  was  set  forth  by  Jesus.  In  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  again  and  again  Jesus  says,  "Ye  have 
heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old  time  .  .  .  but 
I  say  unto  you,"  etc.  (Matt.  5:21,  27,  33,  38,  43). 
The  Bible  contains  the  story  of  "God's  gradual  edu- 
cation of  humanity."  It  contains  many  syllables 
which,  together,  spell  out  one  complete  word,  Jesus. 
"The  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy" 
''Eev.  10:10). 

"God,  who  at  sundry  times  in  manners  many 
Spake  to  the  fathers  and  is  speaking  still, 
Eager  to  find  if  ever  or  if  any 

Souls  will  obey  and  hearken  to  his  will ; 

Who  that  one  moment  has  the  least  descried  Him, 
Dimly  and  faintly,  hidden  and  afar, 

Doth  not  despise  all  excellence  beside  Him, 

Pleasures  and  powers  that  are  not  and  that  are.'^ 


30  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Suggestion:  The  Bible  begins  with  the  words, 
"In  the  beginning  God."  The  Epistle  to  the  He- 
trews  begins  with  the  word  "God."  The  same  God 
reveals  his  presence  through  all  the  centuries.  His- 
tory is  God's  story. 

"0  God,  the  Rock  of  Ages, 

Who  evermore  hast  been, 
What  time  the  tempest  rages. 

Our  dwelling  place  serene: 
Before  thy  first  creations, 

O  Lord,  the  same  as  now, 
To  endless  generations 

The  everlasting  Thou! 


III.  The  Perfect  Revelation  (1:3-14) 

Memory  Vekse  :   1 :3 

*'Who,  being  the  effulgence  of  his  glory,  and  the 
very  image  of  his  substance,  and  upholding  all  things 
hj  the  word  of  his  power,  when  he  had  made  puri- 
fication of  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high." 

The  final  revelation  of  God  is  found  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Whatever  new  light  breaks  forth  from  the 
Word  of  God  comes  from  the  light  of  his  face.  He 
is  the  reality  of  which  all  other  revelation  was  but 
the  prophecy.     This  is  the  teaching  of  all  Scrip- 


THE  SUPREME  REVELATION         31 

tiire.  It  was  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Himself  (John 
1:18;  4:26;  6:51;  8:12).  It  was  the  heart  of  the 
teaching  of  the  Apostles  (II  Cor.  4:6).  It  is  the 
consistent  theme  of  the  Christian  hymnal. 

''No  mortal  can  with  Him  compare, 
Among  the  sons  of  men; 
Fairer  is  He  than  all  the  fair 
That  fill  the  heavenly  train." 

Jesus  is  God's  last  and  final  word  to  men.  The 
great  war  has  brought  the  ethics  of  Jesus  out  into 
bold  relief.  The  word  "spoken"  carries  the  sugges- 
tion of  finality.  In  Jesus,  God  has  spoken,  once 
and  for  all,  as  the  Greek  word  signifies.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  this  must  be  so  on  account  of  the  character 
v>f  Jesus  Himself.  He  is  not  a  prophet.  He  is  a 
Son.  His  message  is  not  by  means  of  human  words, 
but  by  means  of  a  perfect  human  life. 

The  author  has  shown  how  He  surpasses  the  Old 
Testament  prophets,  and  now  introduces  the  compari- 
son with  the  angels.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize 
any  difficulty  in  giving  to  Jesus  a  place  superior 
to  the  angels.  We  are  not  greatly  interested  in  angels. 
With  the  Hebrew  people  it  was  different — altogether 
different.  They  not  only  believed  in  angels  but  held 
the  doctrine  that  the  law  was  mediated  to  men 
through  angels.  The  word  was  spoken  by  angels 
(Heb.  2:2).    Paul  asserts  that  the  law  was  ordained 


S2  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

through  angels  (Gal.  3:19),  and  Stephen  spoke  of 
the  law  which  the  Jews  had  not  kept  as  "ordained 
by  angels"  (Acts  7:53).  The  Hebrew  literature  is 
full  of  angels.  "No  choir  of  angels  sings  God's 
praises  twice,  for  each  day  God  creates  new  hosts 
which  sing  his  praises  and  then  vanish  into  the 
stream  of  fire  from  under  the  throne  of  his  glory 
whence  they  came."  In  our  day  it  is  customary  to 
compare  Jesus  with  Buddha,  with  Confucius,  with 
Mohammed;  to  the  Hebrews  the  comparison  with 
angels  was  doubly  important  and  tenfold  more  real. 
1.  In  the  first  place  (1 :2-4)  the  author  asserts 
that  Jesus  has  "a  more  excellent  name"  than  the 
angels.  They  are  only  ministering  spirits  (1:14). 
He  is  the  "heir  of  all  things"  (1:2).  They  are  the 
servants.  He  is  the  Son.  In  words  of  stirring  elo- 
quence he  outlines  the  character  of  the  Son.  (a) 
He  is  the  supreme  Lord,  "the  heir  of  all  things," 
for  He  sits  on  the  throne  of  the  majesty  on  high.  (&) 
He  precedes  and  antedates  all  angels,  for  through 
Him  God  made  the  worlds.  He  is  the  pre-existent 
one.  (c)  He  is  the  very  effulgence  of  God's  glory, 
and  the  very  image,  the  very  character,  of  God's 
nature.  To  see  Jesus  is  to  see  God.  (d)  He  is  the 
conquering  hero.  He  holds  in  his  hands  the  victory. 
He  holds  his  place  because  of  moral  achievement. 
After  he  had  made  purification  for  sins  and  gained 
the  victory,  He  took  his  place  on  the  throne.     He 


THE  SUPREME  REVELATION         33 

is  not  only  the  revealer,  He  is  the  redeemer.  This 
note  sounded  here  will  be  heard  clearer  in  the  next 
study. 

2.  In  the  second  place,  the  author  brings  evidence 
to  support  his  claim  that  Jesus  is  the  perfect  re- 
vealer of  God.  He  appeals  to  the  Old  Testament, 
the  last  authority  of  these  first  readers.  In  the  pas- 
sage 1:5-14,  there  are  seven  Old  Testament  refer- 
ences and  quotations.  The  angels  are  only  messen- 
gers, servants  (1:14).  They  belong  to  another  order 
than  does  Jesus.  He  belongs  to  the  spiritual  order. 
They  belong  to  the  natural.  To-day  they  take  the 
form  of  wind,  and  to-morrow  the  form  of  a  flame 
of  fire  (1-^).  The  angels  are  worshippers,  and  the 
object  of  their  worship  is  the  Son  (1:6).  He  be- 
longs to  the  moral  order  and  is  the  Lord,  the  giver 
of  life  (1:8-13).  The  angels  are  the  Son's  servants 
sent  forth  to  minister  to  those  who  shall  partake 
of  the  salvation  which  Christ,  the  Son,  has  achieved. 
Salvation  then  is  the  end  to  which  the  movement  of 
history  tends.  Revelation  is  complete  when  it  is- 
sues in  redemption.  Christ  is  the  only  revealer,  be- 
cause He  is  the  only  redeemer.  He  alone  brings  men 
to  God. 

If  the  Gospel  cannot  meet  the  needs  of  men,  put- 
ting an  end  to  war  as  it  put  an  end  to  slavery,  then 
some  new  Gospel  will  be  born  out  of  the  necessity 


34  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

of  the  race.     But  the  Gospel  meets  every  need  of 
life  and  in  the  end  will  triumph. 

Suggestion  :  The  author  of  Hebrews  quotes  from 
at  least  nine  of  the  Psalms:  Psalm  2  (1:5; 
5:5);  8  (2:6);  22  (2:11);  40  (10:5);  (1:8);  95 
(3:7;  4:3,  7);  102  (1:10);  104  (1:7);  110  (1:13; 
5:6;  7:17,  21). 

While  asserting  the  supremacy  of  the  ISTew  Testa- 
ment revelation  the  author  appeals  to  the  Old  Tes- 
tament as  also  authoritative. 

"The  New  is  in  the  Old  contained, 
The  Old  is  in  the  New  retained ; 
The  New  is  in  the  Old  concealed, 
The  Old  is  in  the  New  revealed; 
The  New  is  in  the  Old  enfolded. 
The  Old  is  in  the  New  unfolded." 

— Augustine. 

IV.  The  Neglected  Revelation  (2:1-4) 

Memoky  Vekse  :  2:3 

"How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  sal- 
vation ;  which  having  at  the  first  been  spoken  through 
the  Lord,  was  confirmed  unto  us  by  them  that  heard." 

The  argument  of  the  first  chapter  is  suddenly  ar- 
rested to  give  place  to  admonition  and  warning.  It 
is  important  to  keep  in  mind  that  the  primary  pur- 


THE  SUPKEME  KEVELATION^         35 

pose  of  the  author  is  not  controversy  but  comfort. 
He  calls  his  letter  a  "word  of  exhortation"  (13:22). 
This  is  his  method.  Whenever  he  has  proceeded  far 
enough  with  his  argument  to  gain  a  hearing  he  al- 
ways permits  the  argument  to  give  place  to  exhorta- 
tion. After  each  presentation  of  doctrine  comes  a 
ringing  call  to  duty.  The  section,  2:1-4,  is  the  first 
practical  exhortation. 

The  exhortation  is  based  upon  a  very  simple  ar- 
gument. The  law  of  God,  given  to  the  fathers, 
through  angels,  was  stedfast  and  every  transgres- 
sion received  its  just  reward  (2:2).  There  was  no 
escape.  The  "just  recompense"  never  failed.  If, 
then,  instead  of  the  word  spoken  by  angels,  we  have 
the  word  of  Christ,  which  offers  to  men  "a  gTeat 
salvation,"  the  word  not  of  prophet  or  angel,  but 
of  God's  own  Son,  not  a  word  of  law,  but  a  word 
of  grace,  "how  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation  ?"  The  author  pleads  for  concentration  of 
heart.  He  calls  for  the  giving  of  "earnest  heed" 
lest  his  readers  "drift  away"  from  the  saving  truth 
of  Christ.  If  those  who  disobeyed  the  incomplete 
revelation  did  not  escape,  how  can  we  escape  if  we 
neglect  the  perfect  revelation  which  comes  as  the 
offer  of  a  great  redemption ! 

The  greatness  of  this  salvation  is  set  forth  in  a 
threefold  appeal. 

1.  It  has  been  spoken  by  the  Lord.      Jesus  be- 


36  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

cause  of  his  moral  victory  and  the  -winiiiiig  of  salva- 
tion for  men,  is  called  "the  Lord."  This  name  is 
used  elsewhere  in  the  Epistle  (1:10;  7:14;  13:20). 

2.  The  word  spoken  has  been  "confirmed."  Those 
who  had  taught  them  the  Gospel — their  first  teach- 
ers— had  not  only  been  eye-witnesses  of  his  majesty, 
receiving  the  truth  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  Himself, 
but  had  also  borne  personal  testimony  to  the  power 
of  the  Gospel  in  their  own  lives.  Their  first  teach- 
ers had  not  only  seen  Jesus,  but  had  for  themselves 
proved  the  power  of  his  Gospel.  Notice  that  this 
statement  is  evidence  against  the  Pauline  authorship 
of  the  Epistle.     Paul  claimed  to  be  an  eye-witness. 

3.  The  Gospel  itself  had  been  confirmed  to  these 
Hebrew^  Christians  by  signs  and  wonders,  and  with 
divers  miracles  and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (2:4). 
These  signs,  wonders,  miracles,  gifts,  sum  up  the 
supernatural  spiritual  manifestations  of  power  which 
accompanied  the  Gospel,  in  the  church  of  the  first 
readers  of  this  Epistle.  The  exacting  conditions  of 
life  under  which  these  Hebrew  Christians  were  liv- 
ing, and  the  imminent  danger  they  were  in  of  drift- 
ing away  from  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  made  this 
admonition  peculiarly  pertinent.  The  idea  of  drift- 
ing suggests  the  gradual  moving  away  from  the  firm 
anchorage  of  the  faith.  The  admonition  belongs  to 
the  Church  of  all  time.  It  becomes  all  Christians 
to  beware  lest  the  hardship,  the  monotony  of  life. 


THE  SUPEEME  EEVELATION         37 

the  hostility  of  the  world,  or  our  own  sense  of  fail- 
ure, lead  us  to  drift  away  from  the  safe  anchorage 
of  the  great  salvation.  The  same  warning  has  value 
for  us  in  these  days  when  the  faith  of  many  is  ready 
to  fail. 

Suggestion:  "To  neglect  is  not  to  fail  to  at- 
tend when  first  presented  for  belief,  but  to  lose  in- 
terest in  and  decline  from  after  having  first  known 
it"  (Davidson).  Apply  this  principle  to  your  own 
life,  and  the  condition  of  the  Church  of  to-day. 

V.  Revelation  and  Redemption  (2:5-9) 

Memory  Vekse  :  2  :9 

"But  we  behold  him  who  hath  been  made  a  little 
lower  than  the  angels,  even  Jesus,  because  of  the 
suffering  of  death  crowned  with  glory  and  honor, 
that  by  the  grace  of  God  he  should  taste  death  for 
every  man." 

The  author  in  2 :3  has  spoken  of  the  "great  salva- 
tion." This  salvation  in  verse  5  is  spoken  of  as  "the 
world  to  come."  This  phrase  is  one  of  the  keys  to 
the  interpretation  of  the  Epistle.  "The  world  to 
come,"  has  no  reference  in  the  writer's  mind  to  time. 
Indeed  "the  world  to  come"  is  already  here.  It 
came  with  the  coming  of  Christ.  By  the  phrase 
the  aiTthor  means  what  Jesus  meant  by  "the  King- 


38  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

dom  of  God."  It  is  the  world  of  righteousness,  joy 
and  peace  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  the  realm  where 
God  is  near  and  known  and  where  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  are  the  real  things.  "The  world  to  come" 
is  the  same  as  salvation.  The  marginal  reading  of 
,the  Eevised  Version  "the  inhabited  earth"  will  rath- 
er mislead  than  help. 

In  this  world  to  come,  this  salvation,  this  King- 
dom of  God,  the  angels  have  no  authority.  They  are 
merely  servants  to  help  bring  in  this  great  redemp- 
tion, but  they  neither  initiate  nor  participate  in  the 
redemption. 

Salvation  belongs  to  humanity.  "The  world  to 
come"  is  to  be  inherited  by  man.  This  truth  is  clear- 
ly set  forth  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  to  that 
authority  the  author  makes  his  appeal  knowing  that 
it  is  the  court  of  last  resort  for  the  Christians  to 
whom  he  writes.  His  exposition  of  the  eighth  Psalra 
is  one  of  the  finest  interpretations  of  a  portion  of 
the  Bible  we  have.  For  a  little  while,  the  Psalm 
asserts,  man  has  been  subordinated  to  the  angels. 
In  reality,  however,  God  has  crowned  humanity  with 
glory  and  honor,  and  put  all  things,  nature  and  law 
and  angels,  under  his  feet.  Man  is  called  to  su- 
premacy, and  redemption  demands  lordship  over  the 
world.  It  is  a  fine  tribute  to  the  dignity  and  des- 
tiny of  humanity,  and  to  the  hope  that  somehow 
progress  is  an  assured  fact. 


THE  SUPEEME  EEVELATION"         39 

This  ideal,  however,  is  not  yet  realized.  "We 
see  not  yet  all  things  subjected  to  Him"  (2  :8).  Man 
is  still  subject  to  the  powers  of  this  world.  He  is 
driven  by  the  forces  of  nature,  and  is  the  subject, 
and  not  the  lord  of  creation  as  he  ought  to  be. 
Looking  upon  Millet's  painting,  "The  Man  with  the 
Hoe,"  Edwin  Markham  gave  expression  to  what  we 
have  all  thought : 

"Is  this  the  thing  the  Lord  God  made  and  gave 
To  have  dominion  over  land  and  sea, 
To  trace  the  stars,  to  search  the  heavens  for  power. 
To  feel  the  passion  of  eternity  ?" 

Has  God's  plan  then  for  man's  salvation,  for  his 
coronation,  been  frustrated?  No.  We  see  Jesus. 
"We  behold  Him  who  hath  been  made  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels"  and  when  we  behold  Him,  He  is 
"crowned  with  glory  and  honor"  (2:9).  One  man 
at  least — Jesus — has  attained  unto  the  goal.  He  has\ 
attained  to  the  "world  to  come"  and  brought  in  the 
great  redemption.  He  is  "the  highest,  holiest  man- 
hood." Jesus  is  the  world's  liberator.  He  is  the 
hope  of  a  world  at  war  with  itself. 

And  this  is  the  important  thing  concerning  his 
attainment — he  has  attained,  not  for  Himself  alone, 
but  for  all  the  race,  of  which  He  is  a  part.  By 
the  grace  of  God  He  has  tasted  death  for  every  man. 
"Jesus  does  not  come  out  of  the  race  of  man.  He 


40  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

came  Into  it"  (Davidson).  "He  is  the  strong  swim- 
mer who  carries  the  rope  ashore  and  so  not  only 
secures  his  own  position  but  makes  rescue  for  all 
who  will  follow"  (Marcus  Dods).  His  victory  is  a 
personal,  moral  achievement,  but  it  is  also  "our  best 
race  asset." 

Suggestion:  The  test  of  revelation  is  ethical. 
Does  it  issue  in  redemption?  "To  know  God"  in 
the  New  Testament  is  always  ethical.  Select  pas- 
sages from  the  New  Testament  bearing  upon  this 
thought,  and  relate  it  to  the  phrase  of  F.  W.  Rob- 
ertson, "Obedience,  an  organ  of  knowledge." 

VI.  The  Perfect  Salvation  (2:10-18) 

Memory  Verse:  2:10 

"For  it  became  Him,  for  whom  are  all  things,  and 
through  whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing  many  sons 
unto  glory,  to  make  the  author  of  their  salvation 
perfect  through  sufferings." 

Jesus  is  the  great  revealer  and  the  great  redeemer. 
He  is  the  "captain  of  salvation,"  the  leader  of  all 
those  who  come  into  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God. 
He  tasted  death  for  every  man. 

The  author  in  the  concluding  verses  of  this  first 
division  of  his  argument  (chapters  1  and  2)  shows 
how  Jesus  attained  to  his   supremacy.     It  was   a 


THE  SUPEEME  EEVELATION"         41 

moral  victory.  "He  was  made  perfect  through  suf- 
fering" (2:10).  It  is  necessary  to  understand  the 
author's  use  of  the  word  "perfect,"  which  frequently 
occurs  in  the  Epistle.  To  make  perfect  in  the  He- 
brew sense  is  to  make  fit  for  the  end  in  view.  The 
end  in  view  may,  or  may  not,  involve  a  moral  ele- 
ment. When  it  is  said  Jesus  was  made  perfect 
through  suffering,  it  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  be- 
fore He  suffered  he  was  morally  imperfect.  The 
expression  means  that  through  suffering  Jesus  was 
fitted  to  fill  the  mission  in  life  which  He  was  seek- 
ing. To  miss  this  special  meaning  of  the  word  per- 
fect is  to  be  drawn  into  limitless  confusion.  Be- 
cause Jesus  suffered  He  thereby  became  a  faithful 
high  priest,  a  true  redeemer,  a  sympathetic  helper 
for  all  who  like  Him  are  tempted.  The  temptation 
spoken  of  is  the  temptation  that  comes  because  of 
a  life  of  suffering,  of  conflict,  just  such  as  these 
Hebrew  Christians  were  experiencing.  Through  his 
death  Jesus  perfected  the  redemption  which  God 
sought  to  effect  for  man.  The  attainment  to  the 
position  of  leadership  in  the  spiritual  world  involved 
for  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  an  ethical  struggle  with  . 
its  consequent  doubt  and  temptation. 

Jesus,  however,  is  not  an  isolated  sufferer.  He 
trusted  in  God  to  the  very  limit  of  life  and  his  vic- 
tory of  faith  is  a  racial  victory.  Jesus  belongs  to 
the  race.    This  is  the  meaning  of  the  great  Christian 


42  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

doctrine  of  the  Incarnation.  Jesus  mingled  his  life 
with  the  life  of  the  world.  He  is  the  Comrade  in 
White  who  leads  on  to  victory.  He  also  is  a  sharer 
in  "flesh  and  blood"  (2:14).  He  took  upon  Him- 
self the  seed  of  Abraham  (2:16).  He  was  of  Jew- 
ish nationality.  He  is  not  ashamed  to  call  the  chil- 
dren of  men  "brethren,"  for  He  and  they  are  "all 
of  one"  (2:11).  He,  too,  being  tempted  has  lived 
a  life  of  faith — faith  unto  the  uttermost,  and  in 
life's  darkest  hour  upon  the  cross  He  confessed  to 
the  statement,  "I  will  put  my  trust  in  Him"  (2  :13). 
What  is  tru»e  of  Him  may  be  true  of  all  the  race, 
for  through  identification  with  Him,  by  faith,  man 
may  become  partaker  of  the  great  redemption. 

Therefore,  Jesus  is  the  author  and  captain,  the 
leader  of  salvation  (2:10).  He  not  only  attains  for 
Himself,  but  for  all  who  follow  Him. 

This  redemption  is  spoken  of  as  possessing  a 
threefold  significance: 

1.  He,  the  redeemer,  gives  forgiveness.  He  makes 
"reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people"  (2:17). 
Before  He  ascends  the  throne.  He  makes  "purifica- 
tion of  sins"  (1:3). 

2.  He  gives  freedom.  He  saves  from  the  fear  of 
death.  He  tasted  death  for  every  man,  and  took 
the  sting  from  it.  In  his  death  faith  triumphed, 
and  faith,  not  fear,  became  victorious.    The  Christian 


THE  SUPREME  REVELATION         43 

life,  in  the  words  of  Donald  Hankey,  is  the  fearless 
life. 

3.  He  gives  power.  He  is  able  to  keep  those  who 
are  tempted  (2:18).  This  gi'eat  verse  speaks  of 
temptation  that  comes  as  a  matter  of  suffering.  These 
Hebrew  Christians  were  ready  to  fall  away  from  the 
faith.  Their  suffering  had  tempted  them  to  doubt. 
It  is  a  situation  often  repeated.  Life  has  been  hard 
and  hope  has  nearly  failed.  How  real  this  tempta- 
tion has  been  in  our  day !  Christ,  too,  suffered  and 
was  tempted  through  his  sufferings.  He  cried,  "My 
God,  my  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  Me?"  Yet 
his  faith  never  failed.  Even  in  death  He  looked 
up  into  God's  face,  and,  having  been  so  tempted, 
he  is  able  to  help  all  who  are  similarly  tempted.  He 
is  the  great  Saviour. 

SuGGESTioisr :  The  author  of  this  Epistle  is  not 
only  a  great  preacher  possessing  remarkable  rhet- 
orical eloquence;  he  is  also  a  great  teacher.  He 
has  a  true  pedagogical  instinct.  He  leads  his  read- 
ers on  from  point  to  point.  He  throws  out  a  sug- 
gestion and  apparently  drops  it,  but  returns  shortly 
to  develop  it  fully.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  no- 
tice this  method  again  and  again.  He  suggests  the 
idea  of  redemption  in  1 :3,  "purged  our  sins,"  and 
before  the  first  chapter  is  finished  he  has  enlarged 
upon  the  great  salvation.     At  the  close  of  the  argu- 


44:  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

ment  in  chapter  2,  he  drops  a  word  about  the  high 
priest   (2:17),  which  later  forms  the  body  of  the 
*  argument  of  the  Epistle  and  makes  the  transition 
to  the  second  division. 


VII.  The  Supreme  Revelation — Summary 

1.  Memorize,  so  that  you  will  never  forget  them, 
the  memory  verses  at  the  beginning  of  each  sec- 
tion. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  the  statement  that  Chris- 
tianity is  a  revealed  religion? 

3.  Explain  the  quotation  from  Augustine  given 
in  the  text,  beginning  with  the  words  "The  New 
is  in  the  Old  contained,"  etc. 

4.  How  can  it  be  said  that  Christianity  is  the 
final  religion  ? 

5.  Why  does  a  true  and  perfect  revelation  of  God 
issue  in  redemption? 

6.  Why  is  Jesus  called  the  captain,  or  leader  of 
salvation  ? 

7.  Show  how  the  idea  of  faith  which  dominates 
the  Epistle  comes  to  the  front  even  in  this  first 
study. 

8.  What  position  did  the  angels  have  in  the  thought 
of  the  Jews  of  I^ew  Testament  days?  Are  these 
ideas  confirmed  in  the  Old  Testament? 


THE  SUPREME  EEVELATION         45 
Word  Studies 

Try  to  get  in  your  mind  a  clear  idea  of  the  fol- 
lowing terms  used  in  the  first  two  chapters  of  He- 
brews. 

Prophets  (1:1)  Signs,  wonders,  miracles,  gifts  (2:4) 
Angels  (1:4)      The  world  to  come  (2:5) 
Drift  (2:1)        Death  (2:9,  15) 
Neglect    (2:3)   Sanctified  (2:11) 
Salvation  (2:3) The  church  (2:12) 


a  Cla00  ptaper 

Heavenly  Father,  Thou  hast  loved  us  into  life^ 
and  thy  mercy  never  fails.  Teach  us  that  we  would 
not  now  be  serving  Thee  if  Thou  hadst  not  first 
served  us,  and  that  we  would  never  have  found  Thee 
unless  Thou  hadst  first  found  us.  We  love  because 
Thou  first  loved  us.     Amen. 


STUDY  III 

THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION 

3:1—4:13 

The  second  division  of  the  Epistle,  which  forms 
the  second  cycle  in  the  argument  for  the  supremacy 
of  Jesus  Christ,  occupies  the  passage  covered  by 
the  third  chapter  and  the  first  thirteen  verses  of 
chapter  4.  The  first  section  was  concerned  with  a 
comparison  between  the  revelation  of  God  given  by 
prophets  and  angels,  and  that  given  in  the  life  and 
person  of  Jesus.  The  prophets  spoke  piecemeal  mes- 
sages. Jesus'  message  was  complete  and  final.  The 
angels  administered  the  revelation  as  servants,  while 
Jesus  was  a  Son,  "the  express  image"  of  the  Father. 

The  first  section  spoke  of  redemption  as  well  as  of 
revelation.  Revelation  issues  in  redemption.  To 
know  God  is  redemption.  In  the  Old  Testament,  the 
revelation  of  God  struggled  toward  redemption. 
Moses  and  Joshua  were  appointed  to  lead  the  people 
out  of  bondage  into  the  land  of  promise.  Freed  by  a 
great  emancipation  the  people  of  God  were  led  on  in 
the  hope  of  entering  into  rest — the  rest  of  God.  These 

46 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         47 

hopes,  however,  were  disappointed.  The  people  per- 
ished in  the  wilderness.  The  record  of  history  is  clear 
regarding  their  failure  and  the  interpretation  of  that 
failure  is  equally  clear  that  it  was  on  account  of  a 
failure  of  faith.  They  failed  "to  enter  in  because 
of  unbelief"  (3:19).  God's  promise  nevertheless 
abides.  Upon  this  inviolate  promise  the  author  bases 
his  second  appeal.  The  rest  of  God  once  promised 
is  a  reality  and  not  an  illusion.  It  can  be  secured 
however  only  by  faith.  Where  Moses  and  Joshua 
failed,  Jesus  will  succeed,  for  He  is  a  better  leader, 
"the  captain  of  our  salvation."  God's  word  of  prom- 
ise will  nevertheless  test  and  try  us,  and  when  faith 
ventures  all,  redemption  becomes  a  reality. 

Suggestion:  Read  carefully  Hebrews  3:1  to 
4:13  in  Moffatt's  "'^ew  Translation  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament" and  note  important  changes. 

I.  The  History  of  Redemption  (3:1-6) 

Memory   Vekse:   3:1 

"Wherefore,  holy  brethren,  partakers  of  a  heaven- 
ly calling,  consider  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest 
of  our  confession,  even  Jesus." 

This  section  compares  Jesus  with  Moses,  the  great 
Hebrew  emancipator.   The  first  readers  of  the  Epistle 


48  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

being  Hebrew  Christians  would  unconsciously  be 
thinking  of  Moses  before  they  had  finished  reading 
to  the  end  of  the  second  chapter.  In  the  closing 
verses  of  chapter  2,  the  author  had  spoken  of  Jesus 
as  the  "leader,"  the  captain  or  pioneer  of  salva- 
tion (2:10).  Moses,  too,  was  a  great  leader,  and 
captain  of  a  great  redemption.  Doubtless  the  au- 
thor, according  to  his  method,  anticipated  the  thought 
of  his  readers  for  he  goes  on  to  speak  of  Jesus 
as  "a  merciful  and  faithful  high  priest."  This  ex- 
pression would  suggest  still  more  clearly  the  work 
and  mission  of  Moses  who  was  not  only  leader  but 
priest  to  his  people.  With  delicate  tact  and  consum- 
mate skill,  the  author  leads  up  to  the  implied  com- 
parison, saying  in  simple  but  direct  language  that 
Jesus  was  faithful,  even  as  Moses  was  faithful  in 
all  God's  house.  The  comparison  is  complimentary 
to  Moses,  and  serves  as  a  prelude  to  the  sharp  con- 
trast which  the  author  immediately  introduces. 
Moses  was  faithful  in  God's  house.  Jesus,  however, 
was  faithful  over  God's  house.  Moses  was  faithful 
as  a  servant.  Jesus  was  faithful  as  a  Son.  The 
^'house"  spoken  of  is  the  people  of  God.  God's  house 
is  the  dwelling  place  of  his  Spirit.  God's  dwelling 
place  is  with  men  (II  Cor.  6:16;  Acts  17:24;  Rev. 
21:3).  God's  people  are  his  temple,  his  abode  (I 
Cor.  3:16).  In  the  New  Testament  Christians  are 
called  the  "household  of  faith"  (Gal.  6:10).     God 


THE  SUPKEME  REDEMPTIO]Sr         49 

has  been  seeking  through  all  the  centuries  to  pre- 
pare for  himself  a  dwelling  place  in  the  heart  of 
humanity,  and  the  Incarnation  is  the  pledge  of  the 
fact  that  God  will  indeed  dwell  with  men. 

Let  us  keep  in  mind  that  the  first  readers  were 
Hebrews  and  to  them  Moses  was  supreme.  The 
author  feels  his  way  very  carefully  and  gently,  and 
very  gi'adually  reveals  the  true  purpose  of  his  com- 
parison. Moses  was  "faithful."  He  lingers  upon 
that  word.  Jesus,  too,  was  "faithful."  Yet  there  is 
a  difference.  Moses  was  faithful  as  a  servant,  work- 
ing out  God's  will,  while  Jesus  was  faithful  as  a  Son, 
in  partnership  with  God,  building  with  his  own 
hands  in  the  midst  of  human  history  a  dwelling 
place  for  God  in  the  hearts  of  men. 

This  temple,  this  house,  this  dwelling  place  of 
God  in  the  hearts  of  men  was  not  established  or 
perfected  until  Jesus  came  into  human  life  with  his 
great  revelation  and  his  supreme  redemption.  Moses 
was  faithful,  and  with  him  God  spoke  "face  to 
face"  (Num.  12:8).  He  revealed  the  will  of  God 
in  the  words  of  the  law  and  caught  a  glimpse  of 
heavenly  things  (Ex.  25  :40).  Jesus,  however,  opened 
heaven  and  brought  all  men  face  to  face  with  God. 
"For  the  law  was  given  through  Moses ;  grace  and 
truth  came  through  Jesus  Christ"   (John  1:17). 

With  this  comparison  in  his  mind  the  author  be- 
gins the  second  part  of  his  argument.     Let  us  con- 


50  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

sider  Jesus  (3 :1).  He  is  the  apostle  and  high  priest 
of  our  confession.  He  is  both  prophet  and  priest. 
He  is  both  Moses  and  Aaron  in  his  ministry  of 
bringing  God  to  men,  and  men  to  God.  He  is  both 
the  revealer  of  God,  and  the  redeemer  of  men,  and 
we  who  are  called,  as  were  also  the  children  of 
Israel,  with  a  calling  born  not  of  earthly  hopes  but 
of  heavenly  realities,  must  lay  to  heart  the  claim  of 
Christ  upon  our  consciences.  Let  us  consider  Him ! 
"We  are  his  people,  his  house.  He  is  the  master  and 
maker  of  men.  Let  us  "hold  fast  our  boldness  and 
the  glorying  of  our  hope  firm  unto  the  end"  (3:6). 
In  the  words  of  Andrew  Murray :  "He  must  be  mas- 
ter in  his  own  house.  Not  only  an  honored  guest 
while  thou  hast  the  keys  and  the  care."  Christ  in 
us  is,  after  all,  our  hope. 

"He  came  sweet  influence  to  impart, 
A  gracious,  willing  guest, 
While  He  can  find  one  humble  heart 
"Wherein  to  rest." 

Suggestion  :  Think  through  the  words,  the  "heav- 
enly calling"  (3:1).  Heaven  is  the  real  (9:23). 
The  things  we  see  are  copies.  In  heaven  is  the 
true  tabernacle  (8:2),  the  true  country  (11:10),  the 
things  unshakable  (12:27-28).  Christ  has  revealed 
this  world  of  reality  to  us,  for  to  it  He,  Himself, 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         51 

belongs,  out  of  it  He  came,  and  to  it  He  lias  returned. 
Jesus  is  reality. 

II.  The  Failure  of  Faith  (3:7-19) 

Memory  Verse  :  3 :12 

"Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  haply  there  shall  be 
in  any  one  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  fall- 
ing away  from  the  living  God." 

After  argument  comes  exhortation.  In  the  first 
division  of  the  argument  the  warning  concerning 
"drifting"  and  "neglecting  the  great  salvation" 
(2:1-3)  immediately  followed  upon  the  argument 
that  the  revelation  set  forth  in  Jesus  Christ  was 
superior  to  that  mediated  by  prophets  or  angels. 
The  author's  purpose  throughout  the  Epistle  is  prac- 
tical. He  argues  in  order  to  influence  life.  As 
soon  then  as  he  has  silenced  the  claims  of  Moses 
by  the  assertion  of  the  supremacy  of  Jesus,  he 
forthwith  leaves  off  argument  and  begins  to  exhort 
and  warn.  The  warning  is  contained  in  the  words, 
"Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  haply  there  shall  be  in 
any  one  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  falling 
away  from  the  living  God"   (3:12). 

The  outstanding  fact  of  Hebrew  history  is  that 
the  redemption  promised  by  and  through  Moses  and 
Joshua  was  a  failure.     The  Promised  Land,  instead 


52  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

of  being  a  land  of  rest,  was  a  land  of  sorrow  and 
struggle.  The  Old  Testament  narratives  as  well  as 
the  Hebrew  Psalms  are  eloquent  upon  this  point. 
The  author  sets  before  our  eyes  the  failure  of  the 
Hebrew  redemption,  by  a  marvelous  series  of  ques- 
tions, possessing  cumulative  force,  which  follow  his 
statement  that  the  Hebrew  redemption  ended  in 
failure  (3 :16-19).  The  downfall  of  Israel  was  grad- 
ual but  it  was  complete.  There  are  three  questions 
with  answers. 

1.  Who  were  they  who,  when  they  heard,  did  pro- 
voke ?    Was  it  not  all  ? 

2.  With  whom  was  he  grieved  forty  years  ?  Was 
it  not  with  them  that  had  sinned  ? 

3.  To  whom  sware  he  that  they  should  not  enter 
into  his  rest?  Was  it  not  to  them  that  were  dis- 
obedient ? 

The  author  not  only  emphasizes  the  completeness 
of  the  failure  but  traces  the  failure  to  its  source. 
The  redemption,  the  rest  promised  was  neither  in- 
adequate nor  illusory.  The  failure  was  not  be- 
cause of  the  promise  but  because  of  failure  to  pos- 
sess the  promise.  There  was  failure  because  faith 
failed.  The  people  hardened  their  hearts  (3:8). 
They  tempted  God  for  forty  years  (3 :9).  They  were 
ignorant  (3:10).  They  had  an  evil  unbelieving 
heart  (3:10).  Sin  deceived  them  (3:13).  They 
provoked  God  (3:16").    In  a  word,  ''they  could  not 


THE  SUPKEME  KEDEMPTION         53 

enter  in  because  of  unbelief"  (3:19).  Faithlessness 
closed  the  door  of  redemption  on  the  children  of 
Israel. 

To  us,  in  these  later  days,  a  new  redemption  is 
offered.  Let  us  take  heed  "lest  haply"  we,  too,  fail. 
God  is  a  living  God.  He  does  not  dwell  in  a  "worn 
out  and  dead  tradition."  He  lives  in  human  hearts 
and  human  lives,  and  his  word  liveth  and  abideth 
forever. 

"All  things  living  He  doth  feed; 
His  full  hand  supplies  their  need: 
For  his  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure." 

God  is  life,  and  through  the  ages  one  increasing 
purpose  runs.  His  promises  are  eternal.  Men  and 
nations  may  prove  unworthy  of  them,  but  He  abideth 
faithful.  "He  cannot  deny  Himself"  (II  Tim. 
2  :13).  It  therefore  becomes  all  those  who  have  been 
made  "partakers  of  Christ"  (3:14)  to  hold  fast  the 
confidence  of  their  faith  unto  the  end.  "To-day  if 
ye  will  hear  his  voice  harden  not  your  hearts." 
The  warning  is  taken  from  their  own  Scriptures, 
from  the  95th  Psalm.  "While  God's  great  to-day 
in  which  there  is  still  opportunity  to  hear  his  voice, 
may  still  be  called  to-day,  and  not  a  yesterday  which 
can  never  again  be  a  to-day"  (Peake).  The  under- 
standing of  the  author's  emphasis  upon  faith  is  one 


54  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

of  the  avenues  of  approach  to  a  true  interpretation 
of  the  Epistle.  He  returns  again  and  again  to  the 
place  of  faith  in  the  life  of  the  Christian  until  final- 
ly he  breaks  out  into  the  wonderful  description  of 
faith  in  the  eleventh  chapter. 

Suggestion:  In  true  religion  there  is  not  only 
the  divine  initiative,  there  is  also  the  human  re- 
sponse. Mark  well  the  positive  expressions  "hold 
fast"  (3:6,  14),  ''hear  his  voice"  (3:7,  15),  "take 
heed"  (3:12).  God  places  the  priceless  possession 
within  our  keeping.  It  is  only  by  patience  and  un- 
failing confidence  in  God's  unfailing  promise  that 
we  are  able  to  retain  possession  of  our  inheritance. 

III.  The  Perfected  Redemption  (4:1-5) 

Memory  Vekse:  4:3 

"For  we  who  have  believed  do  enter  into  that 
rest." 

We  must  not  be  misled  by  the  words  and  sym- 
bolism of  the  Hebrew  religion.  It  is  our  task  to 
work  through  Old  Testament  words  and  symbols 
to  the  Christian  reality  of  which  they  are  prophetic. 

The  author  identifies  redemption  with  a  beautiful 
Old  Testament  word,  rich  in  meaning  and  sugges- 
tive of  rich  reality.  He  speaks  of  rest,  the  rest 
of  God,  as  beingjthe  end,  oi^Il  religion  and^the  fruit 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         55 

of  a  true  redemption.  He  lays  hold  upon  the  prom- 
ise of  GodTthat  he  will  give  his  people  rest.  It  is 
part  of  the  argument  concerning  the  leadership  of 
Moses  which  was  interrupted  to  make  a  place  for 
the  practical  exhortation  of  the  last  section. 

Rest  is  the  final  test  of  all  religion.  True  religion 
is  just  heart  rest.  The  heart  that  is  satisfied,  truly 
satisfied,  has  been  redeemed  and  has  found  God. 
Jesus  came  to  reveal  God  to  men  and  to  bring  men 
to  God.  In  bringing  men  to  God,  He  brings  them 
into  rest.  That  is  why  the  great  invitation  stands 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  Gospel,  ^^Come  unto  Me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  aifiJieaYj^J^en,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest^^Matt.  11:28).  ^ThouO  God,'^"sayr 
Augustine,  "hast  made  us  for  thyself,  and  our  hearts 
are  restless  till  they  rest  in  Thee."  Redemption  is 
the  promised  rest  ot  God. 

For  all  who  will  lay  hold  of  it  by  faith  there  is 
a  quiet  heart,  a  repose  of  soul,  a  rest  of  God.  This 
is  a  fuu^mental-tgutb?  _It  is  the  hope  of  all  re- 
ligion, and  the  promised  gift  of  Christ.  In  support 
of  the  argument,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  as-usual 
appeals  to  the  Old  Testament.  In  the  Psalm  which 
was  quoted  in  the  thirds  chapter,  a  rest  is  spoken 
of  as  "my  rest,"  that  is  "God's  rest."  Even  in  the 
earliest  record  of  Scripture  we  read  that  God  "rest- 
ed"  (Gen.  2:2).     These  references  are  sufiicient  to 


56  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

show  that  in  the  very  nature  and  heart  of  God  rest 
that  is  rest  indeed  may  be  found. 

Concerning  this  rest  of  God,  this  promised  re- 
demption, two  conclusions  are  brought  forth  by  the 
author. 

1.  The  first  fact  set  forth  is  that  the  people  of 
God,  in  times  past,  missed  the  promised  rest.  God 
promised  them  rest  unto  their  souls.  The  Land  of 
Promise  was  a  symbol  to  them  of  life's  complete 
redemption.  The  conquest  of  the  land  was  a  moral 
and  spiritual  victory.  To  them  the  gospel  was  also 
preached  (4.2).  They,  too,  heard  the  good  news 
of  rest  found  only  in  fellowship  with  God.  But  the;^ 
failed  of  the  promise.  They  failed  because  their 
faith  failed.  The  promise  was  of  no  use  to  them 
because  it  was  not  mixed  with  faith  (4:2).  Without 
faith  even  the  Land  of  Promise  was  only  common 
clay. 

2.  The  second  fact  set  forth  is  that  God's  promise 
cannot  fail  forever.  That  promise  speaks  of  a  re- 
ality. If  the  Hebrew  people  did  not  enter  into  the 
possession  of  it,  then,  like  the  hidden  treasure,  it 
still  awaits  discovery.  ''There  remaineth  therefore 
a  Sabbath  rest  for  the  people  of  God"  (4:9).  This 
is  the  rest  not  of  Canaan,  but  the  rest  of  Christ. 
"The  promise  is  his  revelation  through  the  Son,  and 
the  new  times  belong  to  the  Christian  age,  and  the 
rest  is  the  Christian  salvation."    The  redemption  is 


THE  SUPEEME  KEDEMPTIOi^         57 

perfected  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  Him  the  rest  of 
God  is  realized.  Behind  all  the  promises,  and  the 
alluring  hopes  of  life,  lies  the  ever-availing  condi- 
tion, "we  which  have  believed  do  enter  into  rest" 
(4:3).  Faith  is  the  open  door  to  the  Paradise  of 
God.     "Faith  is  the  victory." 

Suggestion  :  "The  heavenly  world  projects  itself 
into  the  present  life  like  headlands  of  a  new  world 
into  the  ocean"  (Davidson).  Apply  this  truth,  which 
has  many  illustrations  in  this  Epistle,  to  the  teach- 
ing about  the  rest  of  God  as  set  forth  in  these  two 
sentences:  "We  which  have  believed  do  enter  into 
rest"  (4:3),  and  "There  remaineth  therefore  a  sab- 
bath rest  for  the  people  of  God"  (4:9). 

IV.  The  Venture  of  Faith  (4:6-11) 
Memory  Verse  :  4:11 

"Let  us  therefore  give  diligence  to  enter  into  that 
rest,  that  no  man  fall  after  the  same  example  of 
disobedience." 

In  the  last  section,  the  author  has  said  very  em- 
phatically that  unbelief,  the  failure  of  faith,  was  the 
reason  why  the  people  of  God  in  Old  Testament  times 
did  not  realize  the  promised  rest  of  God.  There  is 
also,  however,  another  reason  in  his  mind.  Follow- 
ing his  pedagogical  method,  he  does  not  boldly  an- 
nounce it,  he  merely  suggests  and  hints  at  it.     The 


58  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

fact  of  history  was  plain  to  all  who  cared  to  read, 
that  not  only  was  there  a  failure  of  faith,  there  was 
also  a  failure  of  leadership.  Moses  died  beyond 
the  borders  of  the  Promised  Land,  and  even  Joshua 
who  led  the  people  into  the  land  failed  to  give  them 
rest  (4:8  R.  V.).  As  late  in  the  record  of  history 
as  the  time  of  David,  to  whom  the  authorship  of  the 
95th  Psalm,  already  quoted,  is  ascribed,  there  was 
still  held  out  to  the  people  the  hope  of  the  unful- 
filled promise.  Even  in  his  day,  centuries  after  the 
entrance  and  settlement  of  Canaan,  David  said,  "To- 
day if  ye  will  hear  his  voice"  (4:7).  To  the  peo- 
ple of  David's  day  the  hope  of  the  promise  was  still 
set  forth  and  was  not  appropriated  even  then.  It 
was  this  promise  of  "a  sabbath  rest"  which  played 
like  a  gleam  of  golden  light  upon  the  horizon  of  He- 
brew history,  which  Jesus,  the  true  leader,  came  to 
realize  for  men.  He  is  the  pioneer,  the  captain,  the 
leader,  who  not  only  enters  Himself,  but  brings  all 
his  followers  with  Him.  Bound  to  Him  by  a  strong- 
er bond  than  any  alpine  rope,  bound  by  life,  by  love, 
by  blood,  because  He  lives  and  rests,  we,  too,  live 
and  rest.  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost. 
The  words  of  Stier  quoted  by  Dr.  Davidson  are 
very  suggestive. 

"When  looking  deep  into  eternity  we  become  blind- 
ed by  the  overpowering  glory,  and  return  to  the 
thought  jthat  such  sabbath  rest  is  not  to  be  conceived 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         59 

as  without  work  and  activity,  we  are  so  far  right, 
for  God's  rest  is  at  the  same  time  an  eternal  life 
of  infinite  activity;  but  we  must  be  on  our  guard 
that  we  in  our  weakness  do  not  mix  up  what  is 
earthly  with  the  heavenly,  or  open  up,  even  in  the 
city  of  God  itself,  a  new  long-extended  street-view 
of  'eternal  perfectionating.'  Rather  must  we  strive 
with  all  the  power  of  our  spirit  to  realize  the  feeling 
of  the  true  rest,  the  perfected  contentment  and  sat- 
isfaction, which  in  God  has  attained  to  all,  and 
which  has  to  reach  nothing  more  in  eternity." 

Calling  Christians  by  the  familiar  Old  Testament 
phrase  "the  people  of  God"  (4:9),  the  author  chal- 
lenges them  to  the  great  venture  of  faith.  Where 
the  people  of  God  in  times  past  failed,  let  the  pres- 
ent people  of  God  succeed.  His  appeal  throbs  with 
the  passion  of  deep  and  interested  earnestness.  ''Let 
us  therefore  give  diligence  to  enter  into  that  rest, 
that  no  man  fall  after  the  same  example  of  disobe- 
dience" (4:11).  A  second  time  the  note  is  sounded, 
"Faith  is  the  victory."  ~ 

Suggestion:  It  is  interesting  to  compare  this 
terrible  arraignment  of  the  children  of  Israel  for 
their  failure  of  faith  with  the  glorious  roll-call  of 
the  heroes  of  faith  as  given  in  the  eleventh  chapter. 
Are  we  justified  in  saying  that  every  true  believer 
entered  into  the  rest  of  God  ? 


60  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

V.  Redemption  and  Judgment  (4:12-13) 

Memoky  Verse:  4:12 

"For  the  word  of  God  is  living,  and  active,  and 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  and  piercing  even 
to  the  dividing  of  soul  and  spirit,  of  both  joints  and 
marrow,  and  quick  to  discern  the  thoughts  and  in- 
tents of  the  heart." 

God's  word  to  the  world  is  a  message  of  redemp- 
tion. Over  the  altar  in  St.  Paul's  cathedral  are 
the  words,  "God  so  chose  out  the  world  to  love  it." 
His  message  to  men  is,  "To-day  if  ye  will  hear  his 
voice."  This  is  the  recurring  refrain  of  the  passage 
we  have  studied,  and  it  is  the  refrain  of  the  entire 
Old  Testament  revelation.  "Cast  away  from  you  all 
your  transgressions,  wherein  ye  have  transgressed; 
and  make  you  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit :  for  why 
will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ?  For  I  have  no  pleas- 
ure in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth,  saith  the  Lord 
Jehovah:  wherefore  turn  yourselves,  and  live." 
(Ezek.  18:31-32).  In  this  connection  read  the  elev- 
enth chapter  of  the  prophecy  of  Hosea.  The  mes- 
sage of  the  Bible  is  found  in  the  words  of  Faber's 
hymn: 

"There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea ; 
There's  a  kindness  in  his  justice, 
Which  is  more  than  liberty. 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         61 

There  is  welcome  for  the  sinner, 
And  more  graces  for  the  good; 

There  is  mercy  with  the  Saviour, 
There  is  healing  in  his  blood." 

God's  voice,  however,  speaks  also  in  judgment. 
His  word  cannot  pass  away.  His  promise  cannot 
fail.  The  promised  rest  of  God  is  an  abiding  real- 
ity, and  they  only  fail  whose  faith  fails.  His  word 
of  promise  becomes  a  word  of  judgment.  No  one 
can  escape.  It  becomes  "to  the  one  a  savor  from 
death  unto  death;  to  the  other  a  savor  from  life 
unto  life"  (II  Cor.  2:16).  His  word  of  promise 
cleaves  and  divides  and  tests  the  souls  of  men.  "There 
is  no  creature  that  is  not  manifest  in  his  sight:  but 
all  things  are  naked  and  laid  open  before  the  eyes 
of  him  with  whom  we  have  to  do"  (4:13).  Men 
may  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  word  and  message  of 
God,  but  in  the  end  they  are  judged  by  that  word. 
Let  us  keep  in  mind  that  when  the  author  so  speaks, 
he  has  before  him  the  inviolate  promise  of  the  eter- 
nal God,  which  speaks  of  redemption,  of  salva- 
tion, of  rest,  to  the  sons  of  men. 

The  description  of  this  living  and  abiding  revela- 
tion of  God  is  very  interesting.  God's  message  to 
men,  his  redeeming  love,  his  wonderful  salvation, 
his  promised  rest,  are  all  bound  up  in  the  thought 
expressed  concerning  this  "living  and  abiding 
word." 


62  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

1.  It  is  living.  Since  God  is  the  Living  God, 
His  word  is  a  word  of  life.  It  never  dies.  Time 
cannot  rob  it  of  its  power.  War  cannot  silence  it. 
His  words  are  living  seeds.  His  promises  enshrine 
the  hopes  of  the  world.  His  salvation  holds  the  de- 
sire of  all  nations.     (See  I  Peter  1:23.) 

2.  It  is  active.  God's  words  are  deeds.  He  speaks 
and  it  is  done.  Creation  follows  upon  his  word.  At 
his  voice  the  blind  see,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are 
raised.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  like  leaven.  It 
permeates  and  transforms. 

3.  It  is  sharp.  "Sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword."  (Compare  Rev.  1:16,  Eph.  6:17.)  It  cuts 
down  clean  into  the  very  secrets  of  the  heart.  It 
lays  open  the  hopes  and  fears  of  humanity.  The 
Gospel  is  a  mirror  in  which  men  see  their  deepest 
thoughts  revealed. 

4.  It  is  piercing.  It  divides.  It  has  the  power 
of  judgment.  It  separates.  It  sets  one  on  the  right 
hand  and  the  other  on  the  left.  It  makes  a  moral 
cleavage  right  down  through  the  social  order.  It 
divides  nations  according  to  moral  ideals. 

"Whoso  hath  felt  the  Spirit  of  the  Highest 
Cannot  confound  nor  doubt  him  nor  deny : 
Yea  with  one  voice,  O  world,  though  thou  deniest. 
Stand  thou  on  that  side,  for  on  this  am  I." 

5.  It  is  discerning.      The  thoughts  and  motives 


THE  SUPKEME  REDEMPTION         63 

of  men's  hearts  are  laid  bare  before  its  searching 
light.  "Be  not  deceived,  God  is  not  mocked."  There 
is  comfort  as  well  as  fear  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
discerning  God.  It  comforts  us  to  remember  that 
He  knoweth  our  hearts,  and  understandeth  our  best 
endeavors.  God  knows  what  we  "aspired  to  be." 
On  the  other  hand,  "the  evil  heart  of  unbelief"  can- 
not escape  his  searching  judgment.  "Our  God  is  a 
consuming  fire"  (12:29). 

With  this  warning  the  argument  of  the  second 
division  of  the  Epistle  is  brought  to  a  close.  Jesus 
is  not  only  the  revealer  of  God,  but  the  redeemer  of 
men.  Where  Moses  and  Joshua  failed,  Jesus  suc- 
ceeds. He,  and  He  only,  brings  his  people  into  the 
abiding  rest  of  God.  This  is  the  supreme  redemp- 
tion. Heaven  and  earth  may  pass  away  but  God's 
word  can  never  pass  away. 

"Oh,  the  little  birds  sang  east,  and  the  little  birds 
sang  west. 
And  I  said  in  underbreath — all  our  life  is  mixed 
with  death, 

And  who  knoweth  which  is  best  ? 

"Oh,  the  little  birds  sang  east,  and  the  little  birds 
sang  west. 
And  I  smiled  to  think  God's  greatness  flowed  around 
our  incompleteness — 

Round  our  restlessness,  his  rest." 

— Mrs.  Browning. 


64  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Suggestion:  Note  carefully  the  expression  "the 
eyes  of  Him"  (4:13).  Compare  the  expression  with 
other  Scripture  references,  i.  e..  Rev.  1 :14,  Mark 
6 :10,  Luke  22 :61.  Read  Mrs.  Browning's  Sonnets, 
"The  Look,"  and  "The  Meaning  of  the  Look."  Make 
Psalm  139 :2 3  your  prayer. 

VI.   The   Supreme   Redemption — Summary 

1.  Memorize  so  as  never  to  forget  the  memory 
verses  given  in  the  chapter. 

2.  Give  in  a  few  words  the  theme  of  this  study. 

3.  Compare  the  theme  of  this  chapter  with  that 
of  the  second  chapter. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  "God's  house"  ?  What  is 
the  relation  of  Jesus  to  this  house? 

5.  What  place  does  faith  hold  in  this  Epistle  ? 
In  this  study? 

6.  What  are  the  fruits  of  unbelief? 

Y.  Explain  the  term  "the  rest  of  God."  How 
is  it  related  to  redemption? 

8.  Give  a  definition  of  religion  in  terms  of  "the 
rest  of  God." 

9.  Why  did  Moses  and  Joshua  fail  to  lead  the 
people  into  rest? 

10.  How  is  God's  word  related  to  revelation,  re- 
demption, judgment? 


THE  SUPREME  REDEMPTION         65 

Word  Studies 

Revelation,   Redemption,   Prophet,   Priest,-  Rest, 
The  Word  of  God. 


Ptapet 

Thou  0  Lord  hast  made  us  for  Thyself,  and  our 
hearts  are  restless  till  they  rest  in  Thee.  Grant  unto 
us  such  an  increase  of  faith  that  we  may  turn  to 
Him,  the  great  redeemer  of  men,  and  find  rest  unto 
our  souls.    Amen. 


STUDY  IV 
THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP 

4:14-6:20 

With  this  chapter  we  begin  the  study  of  the  third 
great  division  of  the  argument  of  the  Epistle.  It 
occupies  the  entire  section  from  the  fourteenth  verse 
of  the  fourth  chapter  to  the  eighteenth  verse  of  chap- 
ter 10,  thus  covering  almost  one-half  of  the  entire 
Epistle.  The  whole  passage  deals  with  the  priest- 
hood of  Jesus.  The  first  argument  was  analyzed  in 
the  second  chapter  of  this  text-book  and  deals  with 
the  revelation  of  God  in  Jesus,  in  contrast  with  the 
revelation  of  God  given  through  prophets  and  angels. 
The  second  argument,  dealt  with  in  the  third  chapter 
of  our  study,  treats  of  the  redemption  obtained  by 
Jesus  in  contrast  with  the  failure  of  Moses  and 
Joshua,  who  endeavored  to  lead  the  people  into  the 
promised  rest  of  God. 

This  great  section  presents  Jesus  to  us  as  the  su- 
preme priest,  who  in  contrast  to  the  ineffectual  efforts 
of  Aaron  and  the  Old  Testament  priests  is  able  to 
bring  men  into  perfect  fellowship  with  the  living 
God. 

66 


THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP         67 

It  is  necessary  again  to  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  in  our  study  we  must  get  behind  the  symbol 
to  the  reality.  Now  a  priest  is  a  symbol.  It  is  nec- 
essary therefore  to  be  clear  in  our  minds  as  to  the 
true  meaning  and  mission  of  the  priesthood. 

A  priest  brings  men  to  God.  If  it  is  the  function 
of  a  prophet  to  reveal  God  to  men,  it  is  the  function 
of  a  priest  to  bring  men  to  God.  This  entire  pas- 
sage (4:14 — 10:18)  will  make  this  interpretation 
abundantly  plain.  What  the  priests  of  old  tried  to 
do,  and  failed  in  trying,  all  this  Jesus  accomplished. 
He,  and  He  only,  has  brought  men  to  God.  The 
word  on  a  true  priest's  lips  is  "fellowship."  It  is 
his  office  to  bring  men  into  fellowship  with  God. 
This  idea  opens  the  way  to  the  Protestant  doctrine 
of  the  priesthood  of  all  Christians.  It  was  this  doc- 
trine that  gave  strength  and  vigor  to  the  religion 
of  the  Puritans. 

"It  never  frightened  a  Puritan  when  you  bade 
him  stand  still  and  listen  to  the  voice  of  God.  His 
closet  and  his  church  were  full  of  the  reverberations 
of  the  awful,  gracious,  beautiful  voice  for  which  he 
listened.  He  made  little,  too  little,  of  sacraments 
and  priests,  because  God  was  so  intensely  real  to 
him.  What  should  he  do  with  lenses  who  stood  thus 
full  in  the  torrent  of  the  sunshine?"  (Phillips 
Brooks). 


68  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

This  division  of  the  Epistle  (4:14 — 10:18)  will 
be  studied  in  four  separate  chapters  as  follows : 

1.  The  Supreme  Fellowship  (4:14—6:20). 

2.  The  Supreme  Personality  (7:1-28). 

3.  The  Supreme  Ministry   (8:1—9:14). 

4.  The  Supreme  Sacrifice  (9:15—10:18). 

Suggestion.  Get  clearly  in  mind  the  true  func- 
tion of  the  priesthood  of  Jesus.  As  a  true  prophet 
Jesus  reveals  God  to  men.  As  a  true  priest  He 
brings  men  to  God.  Study  carefully  2:10;  7:19-25. 
Compare  Charles  Wesley's  beautiful  h^mn : 

"I  know  that  my  redeemer  lives 
And  ever  prays  for  me." 


1.  The  Fact  of  Fellowship  (4:14^16) 

Memory  Verse:  4:16 

"Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with  boldness  unto 
the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy,  and 
may  find  grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need." 

Jesus  is  a  high  priest.  He  is  the  high  priest.  He, 
and  He  only,  is  the  great  high  priest.  He,  and  He 
only,  brings  men  into  fellowship  with  God. 

True  to  his  art  as  a  teacher,  the  author  of  the 
Epistle  introduced  the  thought  of  the  priesthood  of 


THE  SUPEEME  FELLOWSHIP  69 

Jesus  before  he  was  ready  to  discuss  it ;  "a  merciful 
and  faithful  high  priest"  (2:17),  "high  priest  of 
our  confession"  (3:1).  He  drops  the  suggestion  and 
then  passes  on  with  his  argument.  The  suggestion, 
however,  is  made  of  purpose,  and  now,  when  he  is 
ready,  he  begins  with  the  complete  exposition  of 
what  he  has  suggested.  The  early  readers  of  the 
Epistle  were  well  versed  in  the  idea  of  the  priesthood, 
but  the  author's  desire  is  to  convince  them  that  Jesus 
is  the  true  priest,  and  that  all  past  and  present  priests 
of  the  altar  failed  to  do  what  he  succeeded  in  doing. 
Let  us  begin  here.  A  priest  is  one  who  brings 
men  to  God.  He  represents  men  before  God.  He 
brings  them  into  the  presence  of  God,  opening  up 
the  way  of  access  to  the  Father.  A  prophet  is  one 
who  speaks  for  God,  "revealing  to  us  by  his  word 
and  Spirit  the  will  of  God  for  our  salvation."  The 
priest  "appears  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us" 
(9:24). 

'No  temple  made  with  hands. 
His  place  of  service  is; 
In  heaven  itself  He  stands, 
A  heavenly  priesthood  his; 
In  Him  the  shadows  of  the  law 
Are  all  fulfilled  and  now  withdrawn." 

Jesus  is  the  true  priest.  He  is  able  to  bring 
men  into  abiding  fellowship  with  God.  This  is 
the  last  and  final  test  of  all  religion,  and  the  Epistle 


10  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

to  the  Hebrews  has  succeeded  if  it  shows  that  the 
way  to  God  stands  open  for  all  the  children  of  men. 
Jesus  has  passed  "through  the  heavens"  into  the  very 
presence  of  God  (4:14—16).  He  saves  "unto  the 
uttermost"  (7:25).  This  great  argument  dealing 
with  the  priesthood  of  Jesus,  is  central  not  only  in 
the  thought  of  this  Epistle,  but  in  the  thought  of 
Christianity. 

The  opening  verses  (4:14—16)  of  the  argument 
are  among  the  most  beautiful  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. Linger  a  moment  on  the  name,  Jesus,  the 
Son  of  God.  The  name,  Jesus,  calls  to  mind  his 
humble  birth,  and  his  true  humanity,  while  "the 
Son  of  God"  links  his  human  history  to  his  kinship 
with  God,  and  his  divine  destiny.  He,  the  all-divine, 
is  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities.  Dr. 
Davidson's  words  give  the  true  interpretation. 

"He  was  child,  boy,  man;  son,  servant,  friend, 
master;  poor,  though  possessing  all  riches;  the  idol 
of  the  people,  and  the  aversion  of  the  privileged; 
familiar  with  the  saddest  sides  of  life,  and  having 
access  to  behold  the  easiest;  with  meek,  most  earnest 
souls  hanging  on  his  words  at  one  moment,  and  hav- 
ing charges  of  blasphemy  flung  at  Him  the  next; 
exciting  wherever  He  came,  speculation,  wonder, 
love,  and  furious  dislike;  cast  into  the  midst  of 
human  life,  and  realizing  the  principles  that  make 
up  its  moral  meaning  with  a  consciousness  clearer 


THE  SUPEEME  FELLOWSHIP  71 

than  if  they  had  been  material  things  about  Him; 
playing  the  first  part  among-  minor  actors  in  the 
drama  of  which  his  country  with  its  social  and  re- 
ligious hopes  was  the  stage,  and  the  solitary  part  in 
that  drama  of  which  the  meaning  cannot  be  ex- 
pressed, whose  stage  was  heaven  and  earth." 

Jesus  is  unlike  the  ordinary  priest,  however,  in 
that  He  Himself  was  sinless.  He  was  tempted  yet 
He  never  fell.  With  Him  temptation  returned  to  vir- 
tue. Unlike  the  priests  of  the  Old  Testament  He 
had  no  need  to  offer  sacrifice  for  Himself  (7:26- 
27).  When  He  offered  Himself  as  the  true  sacrifice, 
his  offering  was  without  blemish,  perfect  and  pure 
(9:14).^ 

This  sinlessness,  which  at  first  would  suggest  sepa- 
ration from  all  humanity,  is  the  pledge  of  our  fel- 
lowship. He  has  gone  into  the  presence  .of  God  "for 
us."  He  is  at  God's  right  hand.  He  is  on  the  throne 
of  power,  and  that  throne  is  a  throne  of  grace.  It 
is  a  throne  of  loving  favor,  of  eternal  selfgiving  on 
the  part  of  God.    Before  Him  we  stand  and  say : 

"False  and  full  of  sin  I  am; 
Thou  art  full  of  truth  and  grace." 

Therefore  let  us  draw  near.  Our  great  high  priest 
has  led  the  way.  Let  us  come  gladly.  His  name 
and  his  nature  are  love.     Let  us  hold  fast.     He  is 


72  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

enthroned  in  power,  and  holds  in  his  pierced  hands 
the  strength  we  require  "in  time  of  need." 

Suggestions  Gather  up  the  oft  repeated  appeal, 
"Let  us."  Compare  4:1,  11,  14,  16;  7:25;  10:1,  22; 
11 :6.  Note  the  author's  tact  in  identifying  himself 
•with  his  hearers,  "Let  us." 

II.  The  Author  of  Fellowship  (5:1-10) 

Memory  Verse  :  5:9 

"And  having  been  made  perfect,  He  became  unto 
all  them  that  obey  Him  the  author  of  eternal  salva- 
tion." 

Two  qualifications  were  necessary  for  the  priest  of 
the  Old  Testament. 

1.  In  the  first  place  a  true  priest  must  possess 
sympathy.  He  must  have  a  talent  for  fellow-feeling. 
He  must  have  compassion  on  "the  ignorant  and  on 
them  who  are  out  of  the  way"  (5:2).  He  must  be 
near  to  men.  He  must  have  other  ideals  than  those 
of  the  priest  in  Browning's  poem. 

"The  parish  priest  of  austerity. 

Climbed  up  in  the  high  church  steeple 
To  be  nearer  God, 

So  that  he  might  hand  his  word  down  to  the 
people ; 


THE  SUPKEME  FELLOWSHIP         73 

And  in  sermon  script  he  daily  wrote 

What  he  thought  was  sent  from  heaven; 
And  he  dropped  it  down 

On  the  people's  heads  two  times  one  day  in  seven. 
In  his  age  God  said,  'Come  down  and  die' ; 

And  he  cried  out  from  the  steeple, 
'Where  art  Thou,  Lord?' 

And  the  Lord  replied,  'Down  here  among  thy 
people.'  " 

2.  In  the  second  place  he  must  have  authority. 
He  must  not  only  be  in  touch  with  men,  but  also  be 
in  touch  with  God.  He  must  be  "called"  of  God. 
He  must  not  be  self-appointed.  He  must  not  take 
the  honor  of  the  priesthood  "unto  himself"  (5:4). 
Like  Aaron  he  must  go  forward  in  answer  to  the 
divine  commission.  The  "called  of  God"  is  the 
name  given  to  all  those  who  have  had  the  pressure 
of  God's  hand  upon  their  hearts,  urging  them  out 
into  sacrificial  service. 

These  two  qualifications  Jesus  possessed  without 
measure.  It  is  the  possession  of  these  qualifications 
which  distinguishes  him.  In  his  person  He  is  su- 
preme. The  superiority  of  his  personality  makes  the 
oflSce  of  the  priesthood  effectual.  What  sympathy 
was  his !  There  is  an  echo  of  Gethsemane  in  the 
wonderful  words  of  the  text  (5:7-8).  The  verses 
are  freighted  with  struggle  and  sorrow.  "Who  in 
the  days  of  his  flesh,  having  offered  up  prayers  and 


U  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

supplications  with  strong  crying  and  tears  unto  Him 
that  was  able  to  save  Him  out  of  death,  and  having 
been  heard  for  his  godly  fear,  though  he  was  a  Son, 
yet  learned  obedience  by  the  things  which  He  suf- 
fered," and  has  been  made  perfect   (5:7-9). 

"The  healing  of  his  seamless  dress 
Is  by  our  beds  of  pain; 
We  touch  Him  in  life's  throng  and  press, 
And  we  are  whole  again." 

What  responsible  authority  He  possessed!  The 
emphasis  is  upon  the  word  "obey."  He  learned  obe- 
dience. We  shall  hear  more  of  this  great  word  later. 
It  describes  his  last  and  triumphant  sacrifice — ^the 
surrender  of  his  will  to  God.  How  acceptable  He 
was  to  God !  To  Him  God  speaks,  "Thou  art  my 
Son."  When  His  last  obedience  is  complete,  and  his 
moral  triumph  achieved,  by  which  He  became  the 
author  of  eternal  salvation,  God  addressed  Him,  sa- 
luted Him,  called  Him,  high  priest,  forever.  He  is, 
however,  an  unclassified  priest,  a  priest  like  Mel- 
chizedek  who  came  into  power  without  tribal  inher- 
itance, without  racial  rights,  out  of  the  "nowhere," 
ordained  of  God,  commissioned  not  according  to  the 
Aaronic  order,  but  after  the  power  of  an  endless 
life  (7:16). 

Jesus  is  the  supreme  priest  who  brings  men  into 
eternal  fellowship  with  God. 


THE  SUPKEME  FELLOWSHIP  75 

Suggestion:  Relate  the  words  "learned  obedi- 
ence" (5  :8)  applied  to  Jesus  to  the  words  "them  that 
obey"  (5:9).  Salvation  comes  through  the  surren- 
der of  the  will  to  God. 

"Our  wills  are  ours  we  know  not  how, 
Our  wills  are  ours  to  make  them  thine." 


III.  The  Failure  of  Fellowship  (5:14—6:8) 

Memory  Verse  :  6:1 

"Wherefore  leaving  the  doctrine  of  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  Christ,  let  us  press  on  unto  perfection ;  not 
laying  again  a  foundation  of  repentance  from  dead 
works,  and  of  faith  toward  God." 

It  is  impossible  to  classify  Jesus.  He  is  greater 
than  the  greatest  of  Old  Testament  prophets.  He  is 
greater  than  the  highest  of  the  angels,  greater  than 
Moses,  the  greatest  of  men.  He  is  greater  than 
Aaron,  the  appointed  priest  of  Israel's  past.  Jesus 
defies  classification.  God,  Himself,  gave  him  a  name, 
a  name  "more  excellent"  than  that  of  any  upon 
earth. 

"But  Thee,  but  Thee,  O  sovereign  seer  of  time. 
But  Thee,  O  poets'  poet,  wisdom's  tongue, 
But  Thee,  O  man's  best  man,  O  love's  best  love, 
O  perfect  life  in  perfect  labor  writ. 
Of  all  men's  comrade,  servant,  king,  or  priest, — 


T6  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

What  if  or  yet,  what  mole,  what  flaw,  what  lapse, 

What  least  defect  or  shadow  of  defect. 

What  rumor,  tattled  by  an  enemy, 

Of  inference  loose,  what  lack  of  grace 

Even  in  torture's  grasp,  or  sleep's,  or  death's, — 

Oh,  what  amiss  may  I  forgive  in  Thee, 

Jesus,  good  paragon,  Thou  crystal  Christ  ?" 

— Sidney  Lanier. 

In  search  for  some  analogy,  some  illustration, 
some  way  to  describe  Jesus,  the  author  hits  upon 
the  character  of  Melchizedek  (Gen.  14:17-24). 
We  will  hear  more  of  Melchizedek  later.  He  is  the 
most  mysterious  personage  in  Hebrew  history.  He 
was  a  king  and  yet  a  priest.  He  was  superior  even 
to  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Hebrew  nation,  and 
to  him  Abraham  paid  tithes.  He  appears  in  sacred 
history,  without  tribal  descent,  apart  from  the  na- 
tional faith,  and  yet  as  a  priest  of  the  most  High 
God.  He  had  immediate  access  to  God.  Jesus,  says 
the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  is  like 
Melchizedek.  That  is  the  nearest  analogy  he  can 
find,  but  as  soon  as  he  mentions  this  fruitful  illustra- 
tion he  lifts  his  pen.  Even  with  such  an  illustration 
to  light  up  his  argument  he  despairs.  Even  the 
character  of  Melchizedek  is  difficult  and  he  is  over- 
whelmed when  he  thinks  of  his  task,  to  make  the 
wonder  and  the  mystery  of  it  clear  to  his  readers. 

This  difficulty  is  rendered  nearly  impossible  by 


THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP         77 

the  dull  brains  and  the  slow  hearts  of  the  Hebrews 
to  whom  he  writes.  To  make  spiritual  things  clear 
requires  not  only  simplicity  of  speech  but  alertness 
of  mind  on  the  part  of  those  who  hear.  You  cannot 
make  hard  things  clear  to  children.  They  lack  ex- 
perience. These  Hebrew  Christians  were  just  chil- 
dren. From  chapter  5,  verse  14,  to  the  end  of 
chapter  6,  the  author  pauses  to  point  out  why  he 
finds  it  hard  to  explain  his  meaning.  This  passage 
is  a  sort  of  lengthened  warning  set  in  brackets.  It 
forms  an  aside.  It  grows  out  of  the  fact  that  he 
faces  a  very  difficult  situation.  How  can  he  make 
the  person  of  Jesus  plain  to  a  people  spiritually  ob- 
tuse? He  has  said  Jesus  was  like  Melchizedek 
and  then  he  hesitates  for  by  their  dulness  and  lack 
of  spiritual  apprehension  he  is  unable  to  make  his 
meaning  clear.  Jesus,  Himself,  faced  the  same  diffi- 
culty, and  He,  too,  stood  dismayed  before  the  blind- 
ness of  those  who  saw  in  Him  no  beauty  that  they 
should  desire  Him  (Luke  24:25,  Matt.  16:13,  John 
8:53). 

The  charges  brought  against  these  first  readers  are 
spoken  without  apology.  They  had  "become  dull  of 
hearing"  (5:11).  When  by  virtue  of  their  experi- 
ence as  Christians  they  ought  to  have  been  teachers, 
they  had  need  that  they  themselves  should  be  taught. 
They  were  still  among  "the  rudiments  of  the  first 
principles"    (5:12).     They  were  like  children  who 


V8  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

had  "need  of  milk"  and  cannot  make  use  of  "solid 
meat"  (5:13).  They  were  "without  experience" 
and  had  not  "exercised"  their  spiritual  faculties 
(5:14).  It  is  a  terribly  severe  indictment,  and  yet 
it  is  equally  true  of  thousands  of  present  day  Chris- 
tians. A  recent  thoughtful  writer  has  said :  "A  great 
many  people  need  re-conversion  at  forty,  however 
Christian  they  have  been  before." 

The  author,  however,  will  not  fail  for  want  of 
trying,  and  boldly  sets  out  to  make  his  argument 
clear.  He  proposes  to  take  for  granted  the  "first 
principles"  and  to  press  on  to  "perfection"  (6:1). 
He  will  not  lay  again  the  "foundation  stones."  He 
names  the  first  principles  of  the  faith  only  to  pass 
them  by.  These  elementary  truths  are  in  three 
groups. 

1.  Repentance  from  dead  works  and  faith  toward 
God.  While  repentance  has  to  do  with  the  past, 
with  the  dead  and  sinful  works  of  the  past,  a  true 
and  living  faith  speaks  of  the  future,  which  holds 
the  promise  and  the  power  of  God. 

2.  The  doctrine  of  baptism  and  laying  on  of 
hands.  Baptism  has  to  do  with  confession,  while 
the  laying  on  of  hands  speaks  of  the  endowment  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  service. 

3.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  eternal  judg- 
ment.    These  doctrines  present  life's  outlook  upon 


THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP         79 

the  illimitable  future,  with  its  rewards  and  punish- 
ments. 

These  lundamental  truths  of  the  Christian  faith 
the  author  will  take  for  granted.  Indeed  they  must 
be  taken  for  granted,  for  the  foundation  once  laid 
cannot  be  twice  laid.  The  first  principles  onoe 
given  cannot  be  given  again.  The  human  heart  once 
enlightened  cannot  experience  the  same  illumination 
a  second  time.  The  warning  is  urgent,  emphatic 
and  unambiguous  (6:4—6).  Theologians  have 
struggled  with  the  passage,  but  the  words  are  vitally 
practical  and  not  theoretical.  The  phrases  of  this 
terrible  warning  correspond  to  the  phrases  of  the 
fundamental  truths  already  mentioned. 

1.  The  phrase  "once  enlightened"  harks  back 
to  the  words  "repentance  from  dead  works  and  of 
faith  toward  God." 

2.  The  words  "tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift"  reach 
the  thought  suggested  in  "baptism  and  the  laying 
on  of  hands." 

3.  The  expression  "the  good  words  of  God  and 
the  powers  of  the  age  to  come"  takes  us  back  in 
thought  to  the  words  "resurrection  of  the  dead  and 
eternal  judgment." 

The  impossibility  of  renewal  lies  of  course  in  the 
nature  of  things.  It  is  founded  upon  a  moral  law. 
The  law  according  to  the  author  has  an  analogy  in 
nature.     The  law  of  spiritual  atrophy  follows  the 


80  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

law  of  the  harvest  (6:7-8).  Let  us,  however, 
see  clearly  that  the  author  is  speaking  of  the  last 
sin  of  life.  He  is  speaking  of  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Spirit.  He  is  speaking  of  apostasy,  of  "falling 
away  from  the  living  God,"  of  crucifying  afresh  for 
themselves  the  Son  of  God,  and  wilfully  and  inten- 
tionally and  continuously  holding  him  up  as  a  spec- 
tacle for  the  world's  derision. 

This  must  not  be  forgotten.  This  is  the  state  of 
those  who  hold  up  to  men  the  crucified  Son  of  God 
as  a  false  Christ.  They  are  traitors  and  apostates. 
Like  Benedict  Arnold  at  the  close  of  life  they  lack 
"only  a  friend."  The  door  of  fellowship  has  been 
forever  closed,  and  by  human  hands. 

Suggestion:  Kead  Jesus'  parable  of  "The 
Sower"  (Matt.  13:1-23).  This  passage  in  He- 
brews is  akin  to  the  seed  sown  on  shallow  ground. 
A  closer  analogy  can  be  found  in  Jesus'  words  about 
"the  unpardonable  sin"  (Matt.  12:31-32).  Let  our 
constant  prayer  be,  "Keep  back  thy  servant  from 
presumptuous  sins." 

IV.    The  Unfailing  Fellowship  (6:9-20) 

Memory  Verses:  6:18-19 

"That  by  two  immutable  things,  in  which  it  is  im- 
possible for  God  to  lie,  we  may  have  a  strong  en- 
couragement, who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold 


THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP         81 

of  the  hope  set  before  us;  which  we  have  as  an 
anchor  of  the  soul,  a  hope  both  sure  and  stedfast 
I'nd  entering  into  that  which  is  within  the  veil." 

The  author's  earnestness  has  carried  him  to  the 
limit.  He  no  sooner  has  reached  his  conclusion 
than  he  has  an  emotional  reaction,  and  it  is  a  reac- 
tion towards  tenderness.  He  calls  his  hearers  '*be- 
loved."  This  is  the  only  occasion  where  he  speaks 
in  such  terms  of  personal  affection  and  confidence. 
As  a  keen  student  of  the  Epistle  puts  it,  "Alarm  at 
the  awful  suggestion  of  his  own  picture  causes  a 
rush  of  affection  into  his  heart."  The  apostasy  he 
has  suggested  is  too  dreadful  to  be  thought  of.  It 
can  never  be.  It  is  only  a  supposition.  It  will 
never  be  realized.  He  is  persuaded  better  things 
of  them,  and  things  which  will  lead  to  their  ultimate 
salvation.  He  bases  his  hope  in  them  upon  two  sig- 
nificant facts. 

1.  Their  Past.  The  past  history  of  these  Hebrew 
Christians  gives  confidence  in  their  continued  loyalty. 
Their  past  is  as  a  mirror  in  which  their  true  pur- 
pose can  be  discovered.  Their  past  is  filled  with  a 
continuous  ministry  of  love.  Love  always  ministers. 
It  is  more  than  a  sentiment.  It  is  an  energy.  Tol- 
stoi's words  are  revealing:  "When  one  loves  a  person 
he  will  do  for  that  person  what  that  person  needs." 
God  loved  and  gave.     This  is  the  assurance  that  the 


82  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

love  borne  for  Jesus  will  continue  unto  the  end,  until 
hope  is  made  full. 

This  they  will  do,  too,  because  of  their  loyalty 
to  past  leaders.  Perhaps  the  author  has  in  mind 
the  roll-call  of  heroes  given  in  chapter  11,  or  perhaps 
their  former  Christian  teachers  and  leaders  whose 
faith  and  patience  are  their  imperishable  inheritance. 

2.  Their  Hope.  Because  the  promise  of  ultimate 
redemption  and  union  with  God  is  sure,  they  will 
continue  to  hope  unto  the  end.  The  promise  of  a 
perfected  fellowship  is  sure.  God  gave  it.  When 
he  gave  his  promise  he  confirmed  it  by  a  sacred  oath. 
This  hope  in  the  abiding  word  of  promise  is  as  an 
anchor  of  the  soul.  This  hope  has  three  qualities. 
(1)  It  is  sure.  (2)  It  is  stedfast.  (3)  It  reaches 
into  the  real  world,  the  world  invisible.  Delitzsch 
has  amplified  the  figure.  "The  iron  anchor  of  the 
seaman  is  cast  downwards  into  the  deep  of  the  sea; 
but  the  hope-anchor  of  the  Christian  is  thrown  up- 
wards into  the  deep  of  heaven,  and  passing  through 
the  super-celestial  waters,  finds  its  ground  and  fast- 
holding  there." 

We  need  not  press  the  figure.  The  meaning  is 
plain.  There  are  two  worlds,  the  world  of  faith, 
the  heavenly  world,  the  real  world  made  clear  to 
Christian  faith,  and  the  world  of  time,  the  world  we 
see  and  handle  and  hold.  In  this  world  of  time, 
storm-tossed  and  wind-swept,  we  are  saved  by  hope. 


THE  SUPKEME  FELLOWSHIP  83 

Though  Jesus  is  unseen  yet  we  know  where  he  is. 
He  is  in  the  heavenly  place,  in  the  presence  of  God. 
While  the  priest  of  old  entered  into  the  Holy  of 
Holies,  within  the  veil,  where  once  a  year,  and  only 
for  an  hour,  he  held  fellowship  with  the  Ineffable, 
Jesus  has  entered  within  the  veil  to  appear  before 
the  very  presence  of  God  for  us.  Jesus  is  our  priest. 
He  has  gone  within  the  veil — even  into  heaven,  into 
the  world  of  reality,  and  our  hope  holds  to  Him. 
He  is  the  forerunner,  and  we,  too,  must  follow  where 
He  leads.  Our  hope  is  fixed  on  Him,  and  where  He 
is,  in  immediate  fellowship  with  God,  we  too  may 
be.  The  words  of  Professor  Peake  will  help  make 
the  exposition  still  more  clear. 

''We  have  not  only  the  guarantee  of  God's  promise 
and  oath,  but  the  entrance  of  Jesus  within  the  veil. 
Since  He  is  our  leader  and  we  share  his  destiny, 
his  entrance  within  the  veil  is  the  pledge  that  we 
too  shall  follow  Him  into  the  heavenly  inheritance. 
Of  no  earthly  high  priest  could  it  be  said  that  he 
went  within  the  veil  as  forerunner  of  the  people. 
He  went  in  alone,  and  left  it  to  return  to  them. 

But  Jesus  has  entered,  not  simply  as  our  leader, 
but  as  our  high  priest.  It  was  this  which  suggested 
the  metaphor  of  the  veil,  since  the  ministry  of  the 
high  priest  reached  its  climax  in  his  entry  within 
the  veil  on  the  Day  of  Atonement.  The  thought 
thus  comes  to  expression  that  within  the  veil  lie 


84  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

both  the  inheritance  and  the  mercy-seat.  The  mercy- 
seat  was  that  place  on  earth  where  the  presence  of 
God  was  most  intensely  manifested.  The  Wood  of 
the  victim  was  therefore  applied  to  it  by  the  high 
priest  on  the  Day  of  Atonement  in  order  to  bring 
it  into  most  immediate  contact  with  God.  The  sacri- 
fice symbolized  the  renewal  of  the  communion  of 
God  with  Israel,  which  had  been  interrupted  by  sin. 

"The  great  religious  idea  of  the  Epistle  is  that 
Christianity  provides  perfect  communion  with  God 
through  the  priestly  work  of  Christ  in  the  heavenly 
Holy  of  Holies.  Xow  in  the  double  truth  that  within 
the  veil  this  work  is  accomplished  and  our  inheritance' 
is  to  be  found,  the  deep  thought  is  expressed  that 
our  heavenly  inheritance  is  essentially  our  fellowship 
with  God. 

"The  religious  interest  dominates  the  whole  Epis- 
tle; its  cardinal  thought  is  that  unhindered  fellow- 
ship with  God  is  the  highest  good;  its  great  argu- 
ment for  the  truth  of  Christianity  is  that  it  perfectly 
solves  the  hitherto  insoluble  problem  of  securing  it. 
Jesus,  however,  has  accomplished  this  great  work 
because  his  high  priesthood  is  after  the  order  of 
Melchizedek." 

With  this  conclusion  the  author  with  consummate 
literary  skill  brings  his  hearers  back  to  the  analogy 
of  Melchizedek  which  they  are  now  prepared  to  un- 
derstand. 


THE  SUPREME  FELLOWSHIP  85 

Suggestion:  It  is  of  spiritual  value  to  note  the 
fact  that  the  author  connects  the  danger  of  "falling 
away,"  of  spiritual  apostasy,  with  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  priesthood  and  the  Christian's  privilege  of 
fellowship  with  God  in  Christ.  We  fail  because 
we  lose  touch  with  God.  It  is  the  story  of  Jesus' 
parable  of  the  vine.  "If  a  man  abide  not  in  me, 
he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered;  and 
they  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and 
they  are  burned.  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words 
abide  in  you,  ask  whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall 
be  done  unto  you." 

V.    The  Supreme  Fellowship — Summary 

1.  Appropriate  to  yourself  the  memory  verses. 

2.  Get  clearly  in  mind  the  three  main  cycles  of 
the  complete  argument  of  the  Epistle. 

(1)  Chapters  1   and  2. 

(2)  Chapters  3  to  4:14. 

(3)  Chapters  4:14  to  10:18. 

3.  What  is  a  priest? 

4.  What  are  the  qualifications  of  a  true  priest? 

5.  What  is  meant  by  the  priesthood  of  Jesus  ? 

6.  Wherein  does  Jesus  differ  from  an  ordinary 
priest  ? 

7.  What  has  Jesus  as  a  priest  accomplished  ? 

8.  What  is  the  relation  of  5  :11 — 6 :20  to  the  argu- 
ment contained  in  4 :14 — 10 :18  ? 


86  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

9.  Outline  what  the  author  calls  the  "first  princi- 
ples" of  Christianity. 

10.  What  is  meant  by  "crucifying  afresh  the  Son 
of  God"  ? 

11.  What  assurances  does  the  author  give  that 
these  early  Christians  will  not  become  apostates  ? 

Word  Studies 

Through      the      heavens  Oracles  of  God  (5:12) 

(4:14)  The  word  of  righteous- 
In    all    points    tempted         ness(5:13) 

(4:15)  Repentance  (QiQ) 

Throne  of  grace  (4:16)  Fullness  of  hope  (6:11) 

Gifts  and  sacrifices  (5  :1)  The  promises  (6 :12) 

From  death  (see  margin  Two    immutable    things 

R.  V.)  (5:7)  (6:18) 

Perfect  (5:9)  An    anchor   of   the   soul 
Eternal  salvation  (5:10)  (6:19) 

Hard    of    interpretation  The  veil  (6:19) 

(5  :11)  A  forerunner  (6 :20) 

Almighty  God,  we  thank  Thee  that  the  veil  that 
hides  Thee  from  the  world  is  done  away  in  Christ. 
In  Him  we  come  to  Thee.  Keep  us  in  everlasting 
fellowship  with  Thee  so  that  we  may  bring  forth 
much  fruit  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  thy  marvelous 
grace.     Amen. 


STUDY  Y 

THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY 

7:1-28 

This  study  is  a  continuation  of  the  third  great 
division  of  the  Epistle  (4:14 — 10:18),  and  con- 
tinues the  argument  of  the  last  study.  In  5  :10  the 
author  had  suggested  the  Melchizedek  priesthood  of 
Christ.  He  returns  now  after  the  digression,  studied 
in  the  last  chapter,  to  develop  his  thought  more  fully. 

Jesus  is  a  priest  who  has  entered  into  the  very 
presence  of  God  for  us,  and  whose  priesthood  has 
the  stamp  of  finality,  because  He  does  what  all  priest- 
hood has  tried  to  do,  and  in  trying  has  failed.  He 
has  brought  men  into  real  fellowship  with  God. 

In  the  passage  now  before  us  the  author  discloses 
the  true  personality  of  this  great  high  priest. 
He  is  a  unique  personality.  There  is  no  one  like 
Him.  An  analogy  is  found  in  the  mysterious  per- 
sonality of  Melchizedek.  All  that  we  know  of  Mel- 
chizedek is  found  in  Gen.  14:17-24.  Certain 
marks  in  the  character  of  Melchizedek  make  possible 

a  suggestive  comparison  with  Christ,  which  enables 

87 


88  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

the  author  to  state  fully  his  doctrine  of  the  person 
of  Christ. 

The  theme  of  this  chapter  therefore  is  not  Mel- 
chizedek  but  Christ.  We  must  see  through  the  He- 
brew symbol  to  the  Christian  reality.  The  secret  of 
the  success  of  Jesus  as  a  great  high  priest  is  his  per- 
sonality. This  chapter  thus  becomes  the  heart  of  the 
argument,  the  very  center  of  the  whole  Epistle. 

Suggestion:  "Deep  down  in  the  heart  of  men 
there  is  a  strong  and  instinctive  demand  for  a  priest, 
to  be  daysman  and  mediator,  to  lay  one  hand  on 
man  and  the  other  on  God,  and  to  go  between  them 
both.  Wit  and  sarcasm  may  launch  their  epithets  on 
this  primordial  craving;  but  they  might  as  well  try 
to  extinguish  by  methods  the  craving  of  the  body 
for  food,  of  the  understanding  for  truth,  of  the 
heart  for  love.  And  no  religion  is  destined  to  meet 
the  deepest  yearnings  of  the  race  which  does  not 
have  glowing  at  the  heart  the  provision  of  a  priest  to 
stand  before  the  throne  of  grace." — F.  B.  Meyer. 

1.  The  Prophetic  Personality  (7:1-10) 

Memory  Verses:  7:2-3 

"To  whom  also  Abraham  divided  a  tenth  part  of 
all — being  first,  by  interpretation,  King  of  righteous- 
ness, and  then  also  King  of  Salem,  which  is,  King 


THE  SUPKEME  PERSONALITY        89 

of  peace;  without  father,  without  mother,  without 
genealogy,  having  neither  beginning  of  days  nor  end 
of  life,  but  made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God — abideth 
a  priest  continually." 

Jesus  is  the  great  high  priest.  He,  and  He  alone, 
has  brought  men  into  immediate  fellowship  with 
God.  Who  then  is  He?  Why  has  He  such  unique 
power?  This  is  the  simplest  and  yet  the  most 
searching  of  all  questions.  The  author,  true  to  his 
consummate  art  as  a  teacher,  relates  the  knowledge 
he  seeks  to  impart  to  the  knowledge  his  hearers 
already  possess.  "Jesus,"  he  says,  "is  like  Melchize- 
dek."  Melchizedek  was  the  most  fascinating  and 
mysterious  character  in  Hebrew  history,  and  the 
parallel  here  drawn  is  illuminating. 

In  7:1-10  the  character  and  personality  of  Mel- 
chizedek is  analysed,  and  he  is  spoken  of  as  prophetic 
of  one  still  greater  than  he.  Where  Melchizedek  is 
superior  to  all  other  Old  Testament  priests,  in  all 
such  points  he  is  a  symbol  of  Jesus. 

Melchizedek  as  a  priest  alone  possesses  four  great 
and  true  traits  of  priesthood: 

1.  Royalty.  He  is  a  king.  He  bows  the  knee 
to  no  one.  He  is  supreme,  (a)  He  is  King  of  right- 
eousness. This  is  the  meaning  of  the  name  Melchize- 
dek. Righteousness  is  his  crown,  and  righteousness 
his  kingdom.  (&)  He  is  the  King  of  peace.  He  is 
spoken  of  as  King  of  Salem,  probably  the  ancient 


90  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

name  of  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  peace.  He  is  King 
of  peace.  N^ote  the  order,  first  righteousness,  and 
after  that  peace.  There  can  be  no  peace  in  the  heart, 
or  in  the  nation,  until  righteousness  is  crowned.  He 
"made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his  cross"  (Col. 
1:20). 

2.  Uniqueness.  He  stands  alone.  There  is  none 
like  him.  He  is  "without  father  or  mother."  The 
Levitical  priests  depended  upon  their  ancestry  and 
their  birth.  This  man  needs  the  help  of  no  heredity. 
He  is  able  to  do  what  he  does  because  of  who  he  is. 

3.  Timelessness.  He  has  "neither  beginning  of 
days  nor  end  of  life."  He  abides  forever.  He  has 
no  relation  to  the  genealogies  of  Genesis.  Other 
priests  come  and  go.  He  abides  forever.  This  is  a 
vital  point.  His  position  is  final.  He  is  final  be- 
cause he  leads  into  the  very  presence  of  God.  He 
sits  down  at  God's  right  hand.  He  has  no  successor. 
(See  5:10;  6:20;  7:3,  8,  16,  17,  20,  24,  25,  28.) 

Ji.  Supremacy.  He  is  supreme  and  superior  to 
all.  Even  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Hebrew  peo- 
ple, paid  homage  to  him,  which  act  was  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  his  right  as  a  true  priest  to  receive  tithes. 
Abraham  bowed  to  him  and  in  Abraham  the  whole 
Levitical  priesthood  which  descended  from  him  gave 
unconscious  allegiance. 

In  all  this  we  have  a  prophecy  of  Christ.  Levitical 
priests  have  authority  because  of  their  heredity.    Mel- 


THE  SUPKEME  PERSONALITY        91 

chizedek  because  of  his  person.  His  authority  is  not 
designated;  it  is  personal.  In  all  this  He  prefigures 
Jesus  who  came  into  history,  and  to  his  redemptive 
work,  without  any  legal  or  hereditary  right.  His 
personality  is  his  own  apology.  He  is  powerful  be- 
cause He  is  who  He  is.  He  is  after  "the  order  of 
Melchizedek,"  King  of  Righteousness,  Prince  of 
Peace,  the  unique  revealer  of  God,  eternal,  timeless, 
supreme.  He  has  no  antecedent.  He  has  no  suc- 
cessor. 

Suggestion:  The  "order"  of  Melchizedek  was 
superior  to  the  "order"  of  Aaron.  The  one  was  an 
order  of  life,  of  personal  worth,  of  moral  authority, 
of  merit,  the  other  an  order  of  law,  of  heredity,  of 
privilege,  of  authority,  based  on  ritualistic  sanction. 
Relate  this  principle  to  the  present  day  supremacy 
of  Jesus. 

II.  The  Power  of  Personality  (7:11-19) 

Memoky  Verse:  7:16 

"Who  hath  been  made,  not  after  the  law  of  a  carnal 
commandment,  but  after  the  power  of  an  endless 
life." 

The  presence  of  such  a  priest  as  Melchizedek  in 
Hebrew  history  is  startling.  It  requires  an  explana- 
tion. It  implies  a  new  order,  and  the  presence  of  a 
new  order  implies  the  failure  of  the  old. 


92  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

If  the  regular  order  of  the  Levitical  priesthood  had 
succeeded  in  bringing  men  to  God,  the  suggestion  of 
a  superior  order  would  never  have  arisen.  [Never- 
theless it  did  arise  and  took  such  hold  upon  the  imag- 
ination of  the  people  that  as  late  as  the  Psalms  it  is 
referred  to.  The  old  order  was  an  acknowledged 
failure,  and  that  failure  entered  into  prophecy 
(Psalm  110:4),  and  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled  in 
Jesus.  He  is  the  true  Melchizedek.  Royalty  was 
his.  He  belonged  not  to  the  priest  tribe  of  Levi,  but 
to  the  royal  line  of  Judah.  He  is  that  other  priest 
''who  is  made  not  after  the  law  of  a  carnal  com- 
mandment, but  after  the  power  of  an  endless  life" 
(7:16).     Two  suggestions  are  here  made: 

1.  The  priests  of  the  Old  Testament  were  made 
priests.  The  law  was  on  their  side.  Jesus  on  the 
other  hand  is  a  priest  because  of  personal  fitness; 
his  qualifications  are  inherent  and  personal. 

2.  The  law  by  which  the  former  priests  were 
qualified  was  a  law  of  the  flesh,  the  law  of  heredity, 
the  descent  from  a  particular  tribe.  It  had  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  life  and  personality  and  spirit- 
ual reality.  The  power  by  which  Jesus  became  a 
priest  is  the  power  of  an  endless,  an  indissoluble,  a 
timeless  life.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  heredity, 
but  everything  to  do  with  personal  influence  and  re- 
ligious reality. 

This  is  the  new  and  revolutionary  principle  which 


THE  SUPKEME  PERSONALITY        93 

the  Gospel  introduces  into  life  and  history.  The  au- 
thority of  Jesus  is  the  power  of  an  indestructible 
and  indissoluble  life.  He  is  the  Prince  of  Life.  He 
is  the  eternal  Son  of  the  Father.  Death  has  no 
power  over  Him.  He  "ever  liveth"  (7 :24-25).  The 
redemption,  the  fellowship,  He  effects,  is  eternal  and 
abiding,  because  He  changes  not. 

The  passage  is  rather  involved,  but  the  meaning 
is  very  simple.  The  authority  and  qualification  of 
Jesus  are  not  official,  but  personal.  He  breaks 
through  into  history  without  announcement.  He  is 
not  part  of  the  process  of  evolution.  He  is  a  new 
order,  a  new  type,  and  his  type  is  personal.  He  is  the 
great  "son  of  fact."  It  is  because  of  what  Jesus  is, 
that  He  is  able  to  do  what  He  does.  "Our  high  priest 
shall  never  ascend  Mount  Hor  to  be  stripped  of  his 
robes  of  office  and  die.  The  secrets  confided  to  Him 
need  never  be  told  again  to  his  successor.  The 
tender  love  which  links  Him  to  us  shall  never  be 
snapped  or  cut  in  death.  No  one  else  will  ever  be 
called  in  to  take  his  place  in  the  superintendence  of 
our  souls." 

Suggestion  :  Make  a  study  of  the  author's  way  of 
speaking  about  Jesus.  Note  the  use  of  the  name  "our 
Lord"  (7:14).  Elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament 
this  expression  occurs  in  I  Tim.  1:14;  II  Tim.  1:8; 
II  Peter  3:15.     The  name  most  frequently  used  is 


94  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Jesus  (2:9;  3:1;  6:20;  7:22;  10:19;  12:2,  24; 
13:12).  The  name  Christ  is  also  frequently  used 
(3:6,  14;  5:5;  6:1;  9:11,  14,  24,  28;  11:26);  Jesus 
Christ  (10:10;  13:8,  21);  The  Lord  (2:3);  Lord 
Jesus  (13:20);  Son  (1:2;  7:28).  Paul's  favorite 
.name,  Christ  Jesus,  does  not  occur. 

"Jesus,  my  shepherd,  brother,  friend, 
My  prophet,  priest,  and  king, 
My  lord,  my  life,  my  way,  my  end, 
Accept  the  praise  I  bring." 

III.    The  Unchanging  Christ   (7:20-25) 

Memory  Verse  :  7 :25 

"Wherefore  also  He  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost 
them  that  draw  near  unto  God  through  Him,  seeing 
He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them." 

We  must  endeavor  to  translate  the  symbolic  into 
the  real.  Jesus,  the  author  states,  has  become  the 
"surety  of  a  better  covenant."  What  does  that  mean  ? 
It  means  that  He  is  the  pledge  of  a  better  fellowship, 
a  better  faith  than  that  of  the  Old  Testament  priests 
whose  duty  it  was  to  bring  men  to  God.  They  failed. 
They  died  and  passed  away  and  left  their  unfinished 
task  to  others,  who  likewise  failed  and  transmitted 
their  failure  to  posterity. 

That  failure  could  not  endure ;  otherwise  perpetual 
fellowship  with  God  would  have  been  impossible. 


THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY        95 

A  better  covenant  is  established,  founded  upon  fact^ 
the  fact  of  Christ.  He  does  not  fail,  neither  does 
He  die.  He  abides.  He  continues.  He  is  unchange- 
able. A  prophecy  of  his  abiding  priesthood  was 
shadowed  forth  in  the  priesthood  of  Melchizedek. 
The  order  of  the  priesthood  of  Melchizedek  rested 
upon  the  oath  of  God,  which  assured  its  timelessness, 
its  imperishableness.  This  changeless  priesthood 
Jesus  possesses.  He  satisfies  the  abiding  need  of  the 
human  heart  for  fellowship  with  God,  and  our  access 
to  God,  our  prayer  life,  depends  upon  Him,  the 
changeless  Christ. 

We  step  into  the  hall  of  some  renowned  college  and 
see  upon  the  walls  the  portraits  of  the  men  who  gen- 
eration after  generation  succeeded  each  other  in  office. 
One  after  the  other  has  passed  away,  and  so  will  all 
who  follow.  It  is  like  the  priesthood  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. It  is  like  the  order  of  all  history.  One 
comes  and  another  goes,  but  none  abides.  They  too 
die  and  go  to  their  judgment.  Jesus,  however,  has 
an  abiding  priesthood.  He  ever  lives.  Death  has 
no  power  over  Him.  This  is  the  crucial  test  of  all 
religion,  and  of  the  author's  argument  (7:3,  16,  21, 
24,  25,  28).  Aaron  ascended  Mount  Hor  and  put 
off  his  priestly  robes,  but  Jesus  is  the  abiding  link 
between  the  generations  that  come  and  go.  He  is  the 
only  enduring  ethical  reality. 

This  quality  is  the  basis  of  his  saviourhood.    While 


96  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

others  die,  He  abides.     Eor  this  reason  He  is  able 
"to  save  unto  the  uttermost." 

1.  The  uttermost  may  mean  to  the  last  limit  of 
defeat.  It  may  mean  to  the  lowest  depth  of  man's 
deepest  need.  In  this  sense  let  us  not  be  afraid  to 
say  "He  descended  into  hell." 

2.  The  uttermost  may  mean  that  He  is  able  to 
lead  to  the  greatest  heights.  He  is  the  leader.  He  is 
-jthe  master  and  maker  of  men.  "He  is  able  to  save  to 
the  furthest  reaches  of  life  and  character,  and  finds 
no  element  intractable  to  his  hand.  Had  it  been  oth- 
erwise He  could  not  have  been  a  priest  for  ever.  His 
priesthood  would  have  been  inadequate,  and  therefore 
must  have  given  place  to  another,  unless  God  were 
to  acquiesce  in  defeat." 

Through  Him  we  draw  near  to  God  (7 :25)  because 
He  abides,  and  lives  to  help,  to  intercede  for  us. 
What  is  involved  in  the  intercession  of  Christ  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  conceive.  The  word  in  the  Greek 
means  "to  act  on  behalf  of  another."  We  can  rest  in 
this  thought:  all  that  we  need  Jesus  will  do  for  us. 

Suggestion:  Compare  these  words  which  speak 
of  Christ's  intercession  for  us  with  the  great  inter- 
cessory prayer  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  John 
where  he  says  "I  have  prayed  for  them."  Try  to 
make  definite  in  your  thought  just  what  the  inter- 
cession of  Jesus  means  now  to  you. 


THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY        97 

IV.     The  Crystal  Christ  (7:26-28) 

Memory  Verse  :  7 :26 

"For  such  a  high  priest  became  ns,  holy,  guile- 
less, undefiled,  separated  from  sinners,  and  made 
higher  than  the  heavens." 

These  closing  verses  are  the  true  conclusion  of  this 
central  chapter.  They  put  in  concise  and  beautiful 
language  the  argument  for  the  supremacy  of  Jesus. 

Concerning  the  personality  of  Jesus  three  things 
are  emphasized. 

1.  Jesus  is  the  sinless  Saviour.  He,  and  He  only, 
is  fitted  to  be  a  Saviour,  for  He,  and  only  He,  pos- 
sesses the  character  to  sustain  such  an  office. 

"The  passage  is  of  the  nature  of  a  triumphant 
exclamation,  in  which  epithets  are  heaped  on  epithets, 
describing  the  lofty  moral  characteristics  and  the 
transcendent  sphere  of  existence  of  the  Melchizedek 
high  priest,  and  the  consequent  perfection  of  his 
high  priestly  work.  Because  the  ministry  is  now 
alluded  to,  and  attention  no  longer  directed  exclusive- 
ly to  his  person,  the  Son  is  called  a  high  priest. 
Priest  and  high  priest  do  not  differ  in  their  person, 
out  of  which  arises  the  kind  of  priest  they  are,  but 
they  differ  as  to  their  ministry." — Davidson. 

a.  He  is  holy.  This  great  word  discloses  his  atti- 
tude to  God.     He  is  God-like.     God  is  in  all  his 


98  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

thoughts.     God  is  the  beginning  and  end  of  all  his 
plans  and  purposes. 

b.  He  is  harmless.  No  evil  thought  is  born  of 
his  imagination.  He  is  sympathetic,  compassionate, 
thinking  with  the  truth,  believing  all  things. 

c.  He  is  undefiled.  He  is  the  crystal  Christ.  No 
taint  is  upon  his  soul.  He  has  the  purity  symbolized 
in  the  Levitical  law  (Lev.  16:4). 

d.  He  is  separated  from  sinners.  He  cannot  be 
classified  with  men.  He  is  unique.  He  is  in  a  class 
by  Himself.  Robert  Ingersoll,  who  trailed  the  glory 
of  our  Christianity  in  the  dust,  had  nothing  but 
eulogy  for  the  character  of  Him  who,  for  all  men, 
is  beyond  criticism :  "His  name  shall  be  called  Won- 
derful :  because  no  man  ever  dared  to  point  his  finger 
at  the  character  of  Christ  and  find  any  fault  with 
Him.  Every  time  I  see  a  rock  I  remember  that  He 
is  the  Rock  of  Ages.  I  walk  out  under  the  stars, 
I  remember  that  He  is  the  star  of  eternal  day.  When 
I  come  into  one  of  God's  temples  I  remember  that  He 
is  the  chief  corner  stone.  When  I  walk  the  streets, 
I  remember  that  He  is  the  way,  the  truth  and  the 
life.  When  I  see  the  birds,  I  remember  that  He  said, 
^Not  one  sparrow  will  fall.'  The  flowers  tell  me  that 
He  is  the  Rose  of  Sharon,  the  Lily  of  the  Valley. 
Wherever  I  go  and  wherever  I  look,  in  every  land 
and  in  every  city,  the  name  of  Jesus  is  Wonderful." 

e.  He  is  higher  than  the  heavens.     In  the  very 


THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY        99 

presence  of  God  He  has  his  home.  He  came  forth 
from  God,  and  has  gone  back  to  God  and  sees  God 
face  to  face  (4:14;  9:24).  He  carries  on  his  min- 
istry in  God's  presence.  This  is  why  He  is  able 
to  save  unto  the  uttermost,  and  in  fellowship  with 
Him,  we  too  come  before  the  face  of  God  where  He 
abides. 

All  human  eulogies  fade  before  the  simplicity  and 
suggestiveness  of  these  words.  Men  of  every  name 
and  language  have  vied  with  each  other  to  do  Him 
homage.  Carlyle  spoke  of  Him  as  "our  divinest  sym- 
bol." Jean  Paul  Richter,  when  he  spoke  of  Him, 
exclaimed,  "The  mightiest  among  the  holy;  the  holi- 
est among  the  mighty!"  Tennyson  sang  of  Him, 
"Thou  seemest  human  and  divine;  the  highest,  holi- 
est manhood.  Thou !"  Sidney  Lanier  called  him  "the 
sovereign,  the  seer,  man's  best  man,  men's  comrade, 
king  and  priest,  the  crystal  Christ."  Ernest  Renan, 
who  was  one  of  the  first  and  highest  of  the  higher 
critics,  said: 

"Jesus  was  in  every  respect  unique  and  nothing 
can  be  compared  with  Him.  Be  the  unlooked  for 
phenomena  of  the  future  what  they  may,  Jesus  will 
not  be  surpassed.  Noble  initiator !  Repose  now  in 
thy  glory.  Thy  divinity  is  established,  a  thousand 
times  more  loved  since  thy  death  than  during  the 
days  of  thy  course  here  below.  Thou  shalt  become 
the  cornerstone  of  humanity,  insomuch  that  to  tear 


100  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

thj  name  from  this  world  would  be  to  shake  it  from 
its  very  foundations.  No  more  shall  men  distinguish 
between  Thee  and  God." 

Amid  the  overturning  of  traditions  brought  about 
by  the  great  war  one  thing  above  all  else  stands  out 
in  unrivalled  supremacy,  and  that  is  the  abiding 
reality  and  sufficiency  of  the  Christ-life,  and  the 
Gospel  hope. 

The  one  enduring  thing,  however,  which  gives 
Jesus  his  place  on  earth,  and  his  throne  in  heaven, 
is  just  this  which  the  author  of  the  Hebrews  calls 
his  priesthood.  He  brings  men  to  God.  "He  that 
hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father." 

2.  His  person  is  the  Gospel.  The  person  of  Jesus 
is  the  key  to  heaven.  Said  Father  Stanton,  "You 
may  know  all  about  the  dear  Saviour  and  say  your 
creed,  without  missing  a  word,  and  yet  never  know 
Him."  In  three  particulars  he  differs  from  all  other 
saints,  priests  and  mediators. 

a.  He  is  shiless.  He  need  offer  no  sacrifice  for 
Himself.     "Which  of  you  convicteth  Me  of  sin  ?" 

h.  He  offered  only  one  sacrifice.  His  sacrifice 
was  once  and  for  all.  It  was  final.  The  sacrifices 
of  the  Old  Testament  were  repeated  with  heart- 
breaking monotony.  God  said  he  was  sick  of  them 
(Isa.  1:13-14).  Repetition  speaks  of  inadequacy. 
Jesus  offered  one  sacrifice  which  opened  the  way  to 


THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY      101 

God  forever.  Jesus'  offering  was  "once  for  all" 
(9:25,  28;  10:10-18). 

c.  He  offered  Himself.  Here  the  author  touches 
upon  the  vital  word  in  his  argument.  He  suggests 
here,  more  than  he  elaborates.  True  to  his  method, 
he  drops  the  hint  and  later  he  will  take  it  up  and 
develop  it.  His  offering  is  Himself.  His  offering 
is  not  merely  physical,  but  spiritual.  It  is  not 
merely  blood,  but  life,  love,  will,  self.  (See  9 :11-14, 
23-28;  10:5-14,  19,  20.  Compare  Eph.  5:2.)  He 
offered  his  life  to  God,  a  perfect  human  life,  an  obe- 
dient human  will,  in  perfect  submission. 

3.  There  is  finality  with  Jesus.  The  old  law 
made  fallible  and  faulty  men  priests,  but  in  the  new 
order  of  ethical  and  moral  values,  established  by  the 
character  and  oath  of  God,  the  Son,  Jesus,  is  the  true 
priest,  the  true  mediator,  the  true  minister,  the  true 
Saviour,  for  He  is  perfected.  The  perfection  of 
Jesus  does  not  refer  to  his  character,  for  He  was 
always  morally  perfect,  but  to  his  office.  He  was 
fitted  for  his  work,  and  fitted  and  perfected  forever. 
He  has  no  successor.  He  is  fitted  to  save  not  only 
one  generation,  but  all  generations,  not  only  one 
nation,  but  all  nations.  He  is  able  to  bring  the  world 
to  God,  the  men  of  every  age,  and  of  every  nation. 
Kipling  may  say: 

"O  East  is  East  and  West  is  West, 
And  never  the  twain  shall  meet." 


102  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

But  in  Jesus,  ''There  can  be  neither  Jew  nor  Greek, 
there  can  be  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  can  be  no 
male  and  female;  for  ye  all  are  one  man  in  Christ 
Jesus"    (Gal.   3:28). 

Suggestion:  Select  from  this  Epistle  the  verses 
that  exalt  Jesus.  Gather  from  literature  and  his- 
tory choice  sentences  of  a  similar  character. 

V.    The  Supreme  Personality — Summary 

1.  Carefully  memorize  the  verses  given  at  the  be- 
ginning of  each  section. 

2.  Relate  the  arg-ument  of  this  study  to  the  argu- 
ment of  the  Epistle. 

3.  Why  does  the  author  illustrate  the  person  and 
work  of  Jesus  by  the  character  of  Melchizedek  ? 

4.  What  resemblance  does  the  author  find  between 
Melchizedek  and  Jesus? 

5.  What  is  the  relation  of  the  priesthood  of  Mel- 
chizedek to  the  Levitical  Priesthood  ? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  the  "order"  of  Melchizedek  ? 

7.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  priesthood 
of  Melchizedek  and  that  of  Jesus  ? 

8.  How  is  the  person  and  work  of  Jesus  related 
to  the  common  order  of  Old  Testament  priesthood? 

9.  Wherein  consists  the  superiority  of  Jesus  ? 


THE  SUPREME  PERSONALITY      103 
Studies  of  Words  in  Chaptee  7 


King    of    Righteousness 

(2) 
King  of  Peace  (2) 
Perfect  (11) 
Similitude  (15) 


Carnal        commandment 

(16) 
Endless  life  (16) 
Uttermost  (25) 
Intercession  (25) 


Ptaper 

O  Lord,  our  God,  we  thank  Thee  for  the  revela- 
tion of  our  true  selves  in  Jesus.  We  are  to  be  like 
Him.  Give  us  grace  to  follow  Him,  and  with  Him 
abide  in  fellowship  with  Thee,  in  joj,  in  peace,  and 
in  unceasing  service.     Amen. 


STUDY  VI 

THE  SUPREME  MINISTRY 

8:1—9:14 

This  study  still  continues  the  argument  of  the 
third  division  of  the  Epistle  (4:14 — 10:18).  A 
priest  is  one  who  brings  men  to  God.  Jesus  is  the 
true  priest  because  He  is  supreme  in  his  person. 
He  is  the  Son  of  God.  This  personal  superiority 
makes  possible  a  superior  service.  This  is  the  theme 
of  this  study.  The  thought  of  the  passage  is  that 
the  ministry  of  Jesus  is  a  superior  ministry.  This 
is  the  "sum,"  the  "chief  point"  in  the  argument, 
his  is  a  "better"  ministry,  founded  upon  a  "better" 
covenant,  made  sure  by  "better"  promises. 

The  emphasis  in  the  passage  is  upon  the  word 
"covenant."  "A  covenant  between  God  and  men  is 
a  state  of  relation  in  which  He  is  their  God,  and  they 
his  people."  We  must  seek  to  discover  the  spiritual 
reality  enshrined  in  this  great  sacred  word  "cove- 
nant." Those  who  are  bound  by  a  covenant  enter 
into  fellowship.  All  barriers  are  broken  and  a  true 
understanding  is  established.     Jesus  is  the  mediator 

104 


THE  SUPEEME  MINISTRY  105 

of  this  new  covenant,  this  new  fellowship,  this  new 
reconciliation,  this  new  understanding.  He  has 
broken  down  all  barriers  and  made  peace  in  the  blood 
of  his  cross. 

I.  The  Excellent  Ministry  (8:1-6) 

Memory  Vekse:  8:6 

"But  now  hath  He  obtained  a  ministry  the  more 
excellent,  by  so  much  as  He  is  also  the  mediator  of  a 
better  covenant,  which  hath  been  enacted  upon  bet- 
ter promises." 

This  section  sums  up  the  argument  of  the  preced- 
ing section.  Jesus  is  our  great  high  priest.  He  alone 
brings  men  to  God.  His  ministry  has  the  note  of 
finality.  He  has  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of 
God.  He  has  fulfilled  all  conditions,  and  the  way 
to  God  now  stands  open.  Those  conditions  are  two- 
fold: 

a.  He  has  a  place  and  sphere  of  service.  This 
place  is  called  "the  true  tabernacle."  It  is  in  the 
realm  of  spiritual  reality.  He  ministers  not  in 
forms  and  ceremonies,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  spirit- 
ual, but  at  the  very  center  of  power,  at  God's  right 
hand.  On  earth  there  are  priests  of  form  and  ritual 
by  the  thousands,  but  in  the  sphere  of  the  spiritual 
He  alone  ministers.    His  glory  is  unsharable.    He  is 


106  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life.  "No  one  cometh  unto 
the  Father,  but  by  me"  (John  14:6).  He  ministers 
in  the  "true  tabernacle,"  and  at  the  very  heart  of 
humanity. 

"And  every  virtue  we  possess, 
And  every  victory  won, 
And  every  thought  of  holiness, 
Are  his  alone." 

h.  He  has  something  to  offer.  It  is  the  author's 
way  merely  to  hint  at  what  his  offering  is.  There  is 
something  appealing  in  the  word  "something."  Of 
course  we  know  what  it  is.  The  "something"  He  has 
to  offer  is  Himself.  Every  priest  has  something 
to  offer,  a  lamb,  a  goat,  a  turtle-dove.  Jesus,  too, 
being  a  true  priest  has  something  to  offer.  He  offers 
Himself. 

Therefore  his  ministry  is  the  more  excellent.  It 
is  complete.  It  is  final.  Through  Him  men  have 
access  to  God.  He  is  the  mediator  of  a  better  cove- 
nant. The  words  of  Dr.  Andrew  Murray  bring  us 
face  to  face  with  the  abiding  value  of  this  teaching. 

"Our  great  high  priest  has  his  sanctuary  in  the 
heavens ;  there  He  dwells,  there  we  find  Him ;  there 
He  receives  us,  there  He  introduces  us  to  meet  God; 
there  He  proves  that  He  is  a  priest  who  abides  con- 
tinually, and  who  gives  those  who  come  to  God 
through  Him  the  power  to  do  it  too — to  abide  con- 


THE  SUPREME  MINISTRY  107 

tinually  in  his  presence.  The  nearness  to  God  and 
fellowship  with  Him  I  cannot  partake  of  except 
through  my  heart.  My  heart  is  my  life,  is  myself; 
my  only  blessedness  is  in  the  state  of  the  heart.  And 
therefore  Jesus  as  high  priest  cannot  do  his  priestly 
work  of  bringing  me  near  to  God  except  as  He  dwells 
in  my  heart  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  All 
our  thought,  and  faith,  and  adoration  of  Him  in 
heaven  bring  us  back  to  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  the 
mystery — Christ  in  you.  He  is  priest  after  the 
power  of  an  endless  life,  a  priest  whose  presence  and 
power  are  known  and  enjoyed  in  the  life  of  the 
heart." 

Suggestion:  The  idea  of  the  "covenant"  which 
to  the  Hebrew  mind  signified  fellowship  with  God 
dominates  the  Epistle.  Jesus  reveals  this  covenant, 
this  fellowship  (1:1;  2:1;  3:1).  He  gives  it  vitality 
by  his  sacrifice  (9:16;  10:29).  "A  covenant  be- 
tween God  and  man  is  a  state  of  relation  in  which 
He  is  their  God,  and  they  his  people."  This  cove- 
nant relation  Jesus  both  reveals  and  realizes. 

II.    The  Better  Covenant  (8:7-13) 

Memory  Verses:  9:11-12 

"But  Christ  having  come  a  high  priest  of  the  good 
things  to  come,  through  the  greater  and  more  perfect 
tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  say,  not 


108  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

of  tliis  creation,  nor  yet  through  the  blood  of  goats 
and  calves,  but  through  his  own  blood,  entered  in 
once  for  all  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained 
eternal  redemption." 

Two  covenants  are  spoken  of  in  the  Epistle.  The 
covenant  made  with  Israel,  the  covenant  of  the  law, 
the  covenant  of  works,  commonly  called  the  first 
covenant.  That  covenant  was  a  confessed  failure. 
Men  were  not  brought  into  fellowship  with  God  be- 
cause of  it. 

Later  in  Hebrew  history  this  failure  was  acknowl- 
edged, and  by  the  time  of  Jeremiah  its  failure  was 
very  evident.  The  people  of  the  covenant  were  in 
bondage,  and  the  author  tells  them  that  the  old  cove- 
nant is  ready  to  disappear,  about  to  expire  from  age, 
to  die  from  "senile  decay"   (8:13). 

"WTien  God  wipes  out  it  is  because  He  is  getting 
ready  to  write."  When  the  old  covenant  is  ready 
to  pass  away,  it  is  because  a  new  relation  is  being 
established.  A  new  covenant,  a  covenant,  a  fellow- 
ship, founded  upon  better  promises  was  already  prom- 
ised.    This  new  covenant  has  three  marks: 

1.  The  first  covenant  was  external,  the  new  cove- 
nant belongs  to  the  heart.  In  the  first  the  authority 
came  from  without.  In  the  new  from  within.  The 
one  was  written  on  tables  of  stone,  the  other  upon 
the  heart. 


THE  SUPKEME  MINISTKY  100 

2.  The  first  covenant  was  confined  to  Jews,  to 
those  who  heard  the  call  of  God.  The  new  covenant 
is  universal.  The  witness  is  within  the  heart  of  all 
men.  The  author  here  touches  the  great  missionary- 
appeal  of  the  Gospel,  but  does  not  press  the  applica- 
tion as  we  should  expect  Paul  to  do. 

3.  The  old  was  a  failure  because  it  was  incapable 
of  fulfilling  its  promise.  The  new  is  final  because  it 
leads  up  to  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  where  for- 
giveness is,  there  is  of  necessity  reconciliation  and 
redemption. 

''With  Jeremiah's  doctrine  of  the  New  Covenant 
universalism  was  born.  The  State  could  perish,  and 
sacrifice  be  brought  to  an  end,  but  religion  had  been 
detached  from  these  accidents,  and  could  therefore 
survive  them.  And  thus  the  people  of  the  New 
Covenant,  the  Israel  of  God,  is  gathered  out  of  every 
tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.  Since 
God  has  written  his  law  on  the  heart  of  each,  there 
is  no  need  for  any  man  to  make  Him  known  to  his 
fellow.  For  all  without  exception  shall  receive  an 
intuitive  knowledge  of  Him." — PeaJce. 

Suggestion  :  "No  one  can  read  the  Epistle  with- 
out perceiving  that  the  writer  belongs  to  the  Pauline 
school;  in  other  words,  that  he  has  more  sympathy 
with  the  new  age,  which  is  coming,  than  with  the  old 
age  that  is  going."     Follow  out  the  suggestion  by 


110  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

collecting  the  evidence  as  suggested  by  these  and 
similar  expressions,  ''the  new  covenant,"  "the  living 
God,"  "better  things." 

III.    The  Prophecy  of  the  Old  Covenant  (9:1-10) 

Memory  Vekse  :  9 :8 

"The  Holy  Spirit  this  signifying,  that  the  vray 
into  the  holy  place  hath  not  yet  been  made  manifest, 
while  the  first  tabernacle  is  yet  standing." 

The  first  commandment  had  failed.  It  made  pro- 
vision for  certain  needs,  but  they  were  not  the  deepest 
needs  of  life.  It  provided  for  flesh  purity,  but  could 
not  deal  with  the  things  of  the  heart.  It  made  pro- 
vision for  sins  of  ignorance,  but  had  no  message  for 
a  guilty  conscience.  The  distinction  is  put  thus  by 
Professor  Davidson, 

"The  condition  of  the  continuance  of  the  covenant 
was  the  keeping  of  the  Law.  But  here  a  double 
defect  manifested  itself  in  the  first  covenant.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  people  abode  not  in  it  (8:9),  and 
on  the  other  hand,  its  institutions  could  not  remove 
the  transgressions  done  under  it  (9:15;  10:4).  In 
the  new  covenant  God  promises  to  write  his  law  on 
the  people's  hearts  (8:10),  as  on  the  other  hand  the 
death  of  Christ  redeems  the  transgressions  under  the 


THE  SUPREME  MINISTRY  111 

first  covenant  (9:15),  and  God  remembers  them  no 
more  (10:17)." 

^Nevertheless,  the  old  covenant  held  in  its  keeping 
the  prophecy  of  better  things  to  come.  Every  detail 
of  the  ancient  system  spoke  of  a  spiritual  reality. 
The  old  was  "a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come" 
(10:1).  "The  first  covenant  lay,  as  a  sphere  of  dim 
representation,  between  two  regions,  filled  with  reali- 
ties,— heaven,  the  region  of  the  true  things  them- 
selves, on  the  one  side,  and  the  new  covenant,  realiz- 
ing the  very  image  of  the  good  things  that  were  to 
come,  on  the  other." 

The  spiritual  significance  of  the  furniture  of  the 
tabernacle  is  touched  upon  by  the  author.  The  taber- 
nacle itself  is  a  symbol  of  the  true  dwelling  place 
of  God  (Rev.  21:3,  John  14:17).  The  candlestick 
speaks  of  the  light  which  lighteth  every  man  that 
cometh  into  the  world  (John  1:9).  The  table  with 
the  shew  bread  looks  forward  to  the  Bread  of  Life  of 
which  if  a  man  eat  he  will  never  hunger  (John 
6:35).  The  Holy  Place  which  is  always  open,  al- 
ways ready,  ministering  continually  to  the  deepest 
cravings  of  the  human  heart,  is  an  attempt  to  shadow 
forth  the  fact  that  God  Himself  is  the  refuge  of 
his  people.  It  is  an  attempt  to  answer  the  cry  of 
the  soul,  ''My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living 
God"  (Psalm  42:2). 

Even  the  Holy  Place  was  not  the  reality,  but  only 


112  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

a  shadow,  for  behind  the  Holy  Place,  separated  from 
it  by  a  heavy  veil,  was  the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  holi- 
est of  all,  with  its  altar  of  incense,  where  prayer 
and  communion  might  be  perfected.  There  God's 
presence  could  be  realized.  Here,  too,  the  worship- 
pers met  failure.  It  is  the  last  tragedy  of  the  soul, 
that  pushes  out  to  the  last  limit  of  ritual,  and  yet 
does  not  discover  reality.  The  inadequacy  of  the 
holiest  of  all  was  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
closed  to  the  people  who  most  needed  such  soul  satis- 
faction, and  was  accessible  only  to  the  priest,  and 
then,  only  once  every  year.  In  itself  it  failed  to 
satisfy  the  needs  of  the  heart,  but  it  was  a  prophecy 
of  good  things  to  come  when  the  veil  would  be  done 
away  in  Christ.  If  once  a  year  perfect  fellowship 
could  be  obtained,  then  in  Christ  that  perfect  fellow- 
ship can  be  continuously  maintained. 

"So  near,  so  very  near  to  God, 
I  cannot  nearer  be; 
For  in  the  person  of  his  Son, 
I  am  as  near  as  He." 

Suggestion:  Study  the  New  Testament  concep- 
tion of  the  "tabernacle."  Relate  this  conception  to 
the  great  central  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation.  "They 
shall  call  his  name  Immanuel — God  with  us"  (Matt. 
1:23). 


THE  SUPKEME  MINISTRY  113 

IV.  Perfecting  of  the  Covenant  (9:11-^^ 

Memoky  Vekse  :  9 :14 

"How  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who 
through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without 
blemish  unto  God,  cleanse  your  conscience  from  dead 
works  to  serve  the  living  God?" 

The  fulfilment  of  all  the  past  is  in  Jesus.  "The 
testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy"  (Kev. 
19:10).  All  things  head  up  in  Him.  He  is  the 
priest  of  good  things  to  come.  The  minister  of  the 
true  tabernacle.  He  is  the  truth.  In  Him  the  "good 
things"  are  realized.     What  are  these  good  things? 

1.  The  perfect  tabernacle.  God  was  in  Christ. 
The  temple  of  his  body  was  the  dwelling  place  of 
Deity.  And  Christ  by  his  Incarnation  has  mingled 
for  ever  his  life  with  the  life  of  humanity,  and  God's 
dwelling  place  is  with  men. 

2.  The  perfect  offering.  The  sacrifice  which 
Christ  offered  was  Himself.  All  heathen  religions 
present  sacrifices  to  their  deities ;  in  the  Gospel,  God 
in  Christ,  offers  his  sacrifice  to  men.  He  gives  not 
the  blood  of  animals,  but  Himself. 

3.  The  final  offering.  He  entered  into  the  holiest 
of  all  once.  He  comes  no  more  out  (10:12).  He 
accomplished  and  maintains  fellowship  with  God, 
and  obtains  for  all  his  people  eternal  redemption. 


114  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

The  transitory  effects  of  the  old  system,  with  its  end- 
less repetition,  are  done  away  in  the  perfect  sacrifice 
of  Christ. 

In  a  closing  sentence  the  argument  is  concluded. 
If  the  old  offerings  purged  the  flesh,  they  accom- 
plished something.  They  purified  the  flesh.  Bar- 
riers were  broken  down  and  formal  fellowship  re- 
stored by  means  of  such  ceremonial  purification. 
"How  much  more" — this  is  the  argument — ''How 
much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through 
the  eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without  blemish 
unto  God,  cleanse  your  conscience  from  dead  works 
to  serve  the  living  God  ?"  (9 :14).  The  old  ceremony 
purified  the  flesh  and  gave  formal  access  to  men 
and  God.  The  purification  of  Christ  on  the  other 
hand  touches  the  soul,  the  heart,  the  conscience,,  the 
will. 

The  reason  for  the  effectiveness  of  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  is  merely  hinted  at.  The  author  will  more 
fully  explain  in  the  next  chapter.  Meanwhile  he 
says  that  the  offering  of  Christ  was  in  "the  eternal 
Spirit."  It  was  not  an  involuntary,  compulsory, 
arbitrary  sacrifice.  It  was  offered  within  the  region 
of  the  spirit,  the  mind,  the  will.  We  in  our  day 
surely  know  what  this  means !  It  was  not  of  physi- 
cal compulsion,  but  of  ethical  and  moral  constraint. 
The  old  sacrifice  was  by  another.  His  was  Himself. 
The  old  was  of  death.     His  was  of  life,  through  the 


THE  SUPREME  MINISTRY  115 

eternal  Spirit.  The  old  was  in  time  and  transitory. 
His  was  timeless,  eternal,  after  the  power  of  "an 
endless  life."  They  tell  us  that  Niagara  once  was 
dry;  that  the  water  of  the  river  dammed  back  by 
the  ice  left  the  precipice  bare.  God's  love  never 
ceased  to  flow.  His  offering  of  Himself  in  Christ  is 
an  eternal  offering.  "It  became  God"  (3:10).  Cal- 
vary reveals  the  eternal  heart  of  God  in  time.  "Thus 
the  offering  of  Christ  is  lifted  into  the  region  of 
eternity,  and  that  in  all  its  extent,  whether  part  of 
it  was  accomplished  on  earth  and  in  time  or  not. 
For  it  is  not  its  local  environment  but  its  animating 
spirit  that  constitutes  it  an  heavenly  offering.  But 
spirit  is  also  the  ethically  free,  and  thus  his  sacri- 
fice is  stamped  with  a  voluntary  as  well  as  a  rational 
character." 

The  ethical  quality  of  Christ's  sacrifice  is  here 
only  suggested.  It  will  be  more  fully  interpreted  in 
our  next  study.  The  author  will  now  reveal  his  deep- 
est teaching  that  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  is  morally  per- 
fect and  spiritually  efficacious.  The  ministry  of 
Jesus  never  fails.  It  cleanses  men's  conscience  and 
sets  them  free  "to  serve  the  living  God."  Cleansing 
makes  men  free,  and  only  free  men  are  fit  to  serve 
others.  There  is  no  finer  climax  in  the  Epistle  than 
this  verse  which  after  speaking  of  cleansing  goes  on 
to  speak  of  service. 


116  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

"Thou  must  be  true  thyself, 

If  thou  the  truth  wouldst  teach; 
Thy  heart  must  overflow, 
If  thou  another's  heart  wouldst  reach." 

SuGGESTioisr :  ''The  object  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,"  says  Coleridge,  "was  to  prove  the  su- 
periority of  the  Christian  religion;  the  object  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  to  prove  its  necessity." 

V.  The  Supreme  Ministry — Summary 

1.  Get  clearly  in  mind  the  memory  verses. 

2.  What  is  the  essential  significance  of  the  term 
"Covenant"  ? 

3.  Is  there  any  distinction  between  the  "order"  of 
the  priesthood  and  the  "ministry"  of  the  priesthood  ? 

4.  Contrast  the  ministry  of  Jesus  with  that  of  the 
priest  of  the  Old  Testament. 

5.  What  was  the  historical  reason  for  Jeremiah's 
prophecy  concerning  a  new  covenant? 

6.  Outline  the  difference  between  the  old  and  the 
new  covenants. 

7.  What  were  the  permanent  and  prophetic  ele- 
ments in  the  new  covenant? 

8.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  was   ethical? 

9.  What  is  meant  by  the  blood  of  Christ?    Why 


THE  SUPKEME  MINISTKY  117 

is  it  effectual,  and  why  did  Old  Testament  sacrifices 
fail? 

10.  How  is  this  study  related  to  the  thought  of 
the  Epistle? 

Word  Studies 

Minister  (8:2)  A  parable  (9 :9) 

Tabernacle  (8:2)  Time      of      reformation 
Somewhat  (8:3)  (9:10) 

Shadow  (8:5)  Eternal     redemption 
More  excellent  (8 :6)  (9 :12) 

Finding  fault  (8:8)  Sanctify  (9:13) 

Waxeth  aged  (8:13)  Eternal  Spirit  (9:14) 

Divine  service  (9:1)  Dead  works  (9:14) 

The  second  veil  (9 :3)  The  living  God  (9 :14) 
Errors  (9:7) 

Ptaper 

God  is  ever  ready,  but  we  are  ever  unready; 
God  is  nigh  to  us,  but  we  are  far  from  Him ;  God  is 
within,  we  are  without;  God  is  at  home,  we  are 
strangers.  The  prophet  says:  "God  leadeth  the 
righteous  by  a  narrow  path  into  a  broad  highway, 
till  they  come  into  a  wide  and  open  place,"  that  is, 
unto  the  true  freedom  of  that  spirit  which  hath 
become  one  spirit  with  God.  God  help  us  to  follow 
Him,  that  He  may  bring  us  unto  Himself.     Amen. 


STUDY  VII 

THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE 

9:15—10:18 

This  section  brings  to  its  conclusion  the  entire  ar- 
gument which  occupies  the  third  great  division  of 
the  Epistle  (4 :14 — 10 :18).  It  concludes  the  thought 
with  which  the  three  preceding  studies  deal,  and  it 
also  concludes  the  doctrinal  part  of  the  Epistle. 

The  last  study  led  up  to  the  sacrifice  of  Christ. 
That  sacrifice  was  a  moral  obligation,  and  perfected 
Christ  in  his  priesthood.  When  the  priests  of  old 
offered  their  sacrifice  once  a  year,  they  entered  with- 
in the  veil  into  the  Holy  of  Holies.  When  Jesus  of- 
fered Himself,  He  entered  into  the  very  presence  of 
God,  to  appear  before  the  face  of  God  for  us. 

He  is  the  forerunner,  and  his  presence  before  the 
face  of  God  is  the  pledge  of  our  abiding  fellowship 
with  God.  The  blood  of  Christ  cleanses  the  con- 
science. His  sacrifice  is  of  "richer  blood  and  nobler 
name"  than  the  ritualistic  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, for  his  sacrifice  was  the  offering  of  his  will, 
his  conscience,  his  self. 

118 


THE  SUPKEME  SACKIFICE  119 

The  finality  of  this  sacrifice  is  disclosed  in  the 
fact  that  Christ's  cross  cleanses  the  conscience.  It 
issues  in  forgiveness,  and  where  there  is  forgiveness 
there  is  reconciliation,  atonement,  fellowship, — and 
fellowship  with  God  is  the  goal  of  the  Gospel.  "Thou 
hast  made  us  for  thyself,  O  Lord,  and  our  hearts 
are  restless  till  they  rest  in  Thee."  When  the  soul 
finds  rest,  it  has  found  God.  Jesus  brings  men  to 
God,  and  keeps  them  there. 

Suggestion  :  In  the  light  of  what  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews  says  about  the  ethical  and  spiritual  na- 
ture of  the  cross,  compare  Jesus'  own  words  to  the 
disciples  on  their  way  to  Emmaus  (Luke  24:26). 

I.  The  Fact  of  Sacrifice  (9:15-28) 

Memory  Verses  :  9  :2T-28 

"And  inasmuch  as  it  is  appointed  unto  men  once 
to  die,  and  after  this  cometh  judgment;  so  Christ 
also,  having  been  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of 
many,  shall  appear  a  second  time,  apart  from  sin, 
to  them  that  wait  for  Him,  unto  salvation." 

Let  us  keep  in  mind  that  the  object  of  the  Epistle 
is  a  practical  one.  The  argument  is  not  to  con- 
vince the  intellect,  but  to  control  the  life.  While 
the  Epistle  is  the  greatest  argument,  the  finest  apol- 
ogy,  for  the   supremacy   of   Christ,   the   author   ia 


120  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

seeking  to  lead  men  to  realize  their  faith  in  loving 
sacrifice  and  service. 

As  the  argument  has  advanced  from  stage  to  stage 
v^'e  have  been  conscious  that  the  death  of  Christ  was 
to  those  first  readers  more  of  a  hindrance  than  a 
help.  The  cross  was  still  for  them  a  stumbling-block. 
Patiently  but  firmly  he  proceeds  to  show  that  Christ's 
death  is  the  glorious  fulfilment  of  all  the  ancient 
Hebrew  ritual,  satisfying  the  ceaseless  cravings  of 
humanity. 

In  estimating  the  argument,  where  the  author 
reaches  great  conclusions,  it  will  be  helpful  to  bear 
in  mind  the  following  principles: 

1.  The  blood  which  makes  atonement  is  the  life 
(Lev.  17:11).  Ignatius  spoke  of  "His  blood  which 
is  eternal  love." 

2.  In  order  that  life  may  be  given  to  God,  it 
must  die.  While  it  lives  it  belongs,  so  to  speak,  to 
itself. 

3.  The  offering  of  life,  therefore,  is  the  essential 
thing  in  all  true  sacrifices.  Life,  not  death,  is  the 
"living  sacrifice."  Keeping  these  principles  in  mind 
the  author  here  states  that  Jesus  died  and  that  his 
death  was  valid  and  became  before  God,  and  for 
men,  the  final  sacrifice. 

1.  Christ's  sacrifice  was  not  unrelated  in  history. 
The  author  states  that  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  is  inter- 
woven with  the  covenant  promises  of  God.     Christ's 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  121 

death  relates  to  those  under  the  first  covenant,  to- 
gether with  those  under  the  new.  To  the  first  read- 
ers this  argument  would  make  a  stronger  appeal  than 
to  us. 

"When  Christ  comes  the  accumulated  debt  must 
be  swept  away,  that  the  promise  of  inheritance  may 
be  satisfactorily  fulfilled.  These  sins  are  cancelled 
by  the  death  of  Christ,  for  the  elaborate  sacrificial 
apparatus  of  Judaism  effected  nothing  at  all  beyond 
ceremonial  purification,  as  the  author  says  with  the 
utmost  directness  in  10 :4.  And  these  sins  must  be 
dealt  with,  otherwise  the  conscience  would  not  be 
cleansed;  for  conscience  is  not  cleansed  by  drugging 
it  into  forgetfulness  of  its  guilt.  The  sins  themselves 
must  be  dealt  with,  and  not  merely  the  sinner's  con- 
sciousness of  them.  Thus  the  death  of  Christ  must 
have  a  retrospective  action,  grappling  with  sins  al- 
ready committed,  as  well  as  imparting  power  for 
righteousness  in  the  future." — Peake. 

2.  Chrisfs  sacrifice  was  not  unique.  The  sacrifices 
of  the  Old  Testament  were  also  effective  for  cleans- 
ing. When  purified  the  unclean  could  mingle  again 
with  the  worshippers.  Jesus,  however,  by  his  sacri- 
fice cleansed  the  conscience.  He  entered  with  his 
life  into  heaven  itself.  Through  Him  forgiveness 
is  realized. 

3.  Chris fs  sacrifice  cannot  he  repeated.  He  re- 
mains within  the  veil  in  the  presence  of  God.    Other 


122  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

priests  stand.     He  sits.     Other  priests  continue  to 
sacrifice.     He  is  a  finished  sacrifice. 

The  author  in  order  to  make  clearer  his  inter- 
pretation of  the  cross  used  two  illustrations  from 
common  Hebrew  usage.  His  readers  would  be  quick 
to  understand  and  appreciate  his  point  of  view. 

1.  The  illustration  of  a  will.  He  uses  the  word 
"testament"  in  the  sense  of  a  legal  document,  a  will 
(9:16,  17,  18).  It  is  the  same  word  as  covenant, 
and  so  the  meaning  is  carried  over  to  the  author's 
argument  concerning  the  new  covenant.  A  will  is 
not  effective  till  the  one  who  makes  the  will  has  died. 
So  the  benefits  of  the  new  covenant  became  effective 
to  his  heirs  only  when  Christ  the  great  covenanter, 
the  true  testator,  died. 

2.  The  illustration  of  the  judgment  (9 :27-28).  In 
human  history  there  are  two  great  events,  namely, 
death  and  the  judgment.  JudgTQcnt  is  the  grand 
finale  of  death.  When  the  author  seeks  to  work  out 
the  analogy  he  does  not,  however,  refer  to  the  judg- 
ment that  follows  the  death  of  Christ,  but  to  salva- 
tion. His  death  is  followed  by  his  appearance  a 
second  time  "unto  salvation."  It  is  a  very  inter- 
esting and  suggestive  application.  He  comes  not  as 
a  judge,  but  as  a  saviour.  Even  as  man's  death  is 
final  and  issues  in  judgment,  so  Christ's  death  is 
final  but  issues  in  salvation.    "There  is  a  causal  con- 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  123 

nection  between  death  and  judgment,  and  so  between 
Christ's  death  and  salvation." 

^  Suggestion  :  "There  is  a  word  here  which  recurs, 
like  a  note  on  an  organ  beneath  the  tumult  of  ma- 
jestic sound.  Five  times,  at  least,  it  rolls  forth  its 
thunder,  pealing  through  all  ages,  echoing  through  all 
worlds,  announcing  the  finality  of  an  accomplished 
redemption  to  the  whole  universe  of  God— Once!" 
^F.  B.  Meyer.     (See  also  10:2  and  6:4.) 

II.  The  Failure  of  Sacrifice  (10:1-4) 

Memory  Verse:  10:4 

"For  it  is  impossible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and 
goats  should  take  away  sins." 

^  The  author  does  not  treat  of  the  philosophy  of  sac- 
rifice. He  does  not  enter  into  any  question  relating 
to  the  reasons  why  sacrifice  is  offered,  nor  does  he 
enter  into  any  explanation  such  as  we  find  in  the 
writings  of  Paul,  why  sacrifice  atones  for  sin.  He 
is  satisfied  to  state  that  sacrifice  is  a  fact  in  the  his- 
tory of  religion.  He  does  not  enter  into  any  in- 
terpretation of  the  cross,  and  sets  forth  no  theory 
of  the  atonement,  although  he  lays  the  basis  for 
such  an  explanation.  His  statement  is:  "Without 
the  shedding  of  blood,  there  is  no  remission."  For 
him  the  statement  of  that  fact  was  sufficient. 


124  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

And  yet  the  statement  of  the  fact  did  not  satisfy. 
The  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testament  had  failed. 
Failure  was  written  across  the  page  of  Hebrew  re- 
ligion.   Three  facts  are  pointed  out : 

1.  The  Old  Testament  sacrifices  did  have  some 
value.  They  served  to  bring  sin  to  remembrance 
(10 :3).  They  were  a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come. 
They  eased  the  pain  of  estrangement  and  opened  the 
way  to  penitence,  which  is  always  the  path  to  peace. 

2.  The  Old  Testament  sacrifices,  however,  were 
ineffectual.  They  had  no  relation  to  the  conscience. 
They  had  a  relation  to  legal  and  ritualistic  purity. 
But  they  could  not  lead  men  to  God.  The  fact  of 
their  endless,  ceaseless,  repetition  spoke  too  loudly 
of  their  failure. 

3.  The  Old  Testament  sacrifices  were  impossible. 
The  author  has  been  leading  up  to  his  climax  'and 
we  are  hardly  prepared  for  this  last  sledge-hammer 
blow.  ^'It  is  impossible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and 
goats  should  take  away  sins"  (10:4).  ''The  law 
having  a  shadow  of  the  good  things  to  come,  not 
the  very  image  of  the  things,  can  never  with  the  same 
sacrifices  year  by  year,  which  they  offer  continu- 
ally, make  perfect  them  that  draw  nigh"  (10:1). 
It  is  a  startling  statement.  The  sacrifices  of  the  Old 
Testament  never  did,  and  never  could,  take  away 
sin.  Those  sacrifices  were  formal,  arbitrary,  and  sin 
is  not  formal  or  arbitrary,  but  an  attitude  of  life. 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  125 

a  condition  of  the  heart.  This  statement  is  however 
the  oft-repeated  principle  laid  down  by  the  Hebrew 
prophets.  "And  Samuel  said,  Hath  Jehovah  as 
great  delight  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices,  as  in 
obeying  the  voice  of  Jehovah  ?  Behold,  to  obey  is 
better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of 
rams"  (1  Sam.  15:22).  "For  thou  delightest  not 
in  sacrifice;  else  would  I  give  it:  Thou  hast  no 
pleasure  in  burnt-offering-"  (Psalm  51:16).  'Tor 
I  desire  goodness,  and  not  sacrifice;  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  more  than  burnt-offerings"  (Hosea  6 :6). 
"What  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices  unto  me? 
saith  Jehovah:  I  have  had  enough  of  the  burnt 
offerings  of  rams,  and  the  fat  of  fed  beasts; 
and  I  delight  not  in  the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of 
lambs,  or  of  he-goats"  (Isa.  1:11).  (See  also  Psalm 
50:8-10  and  Jer.  7:21-23.)  In  this  connection  the 
somewhat  forgotton  hymn  of  Isaac  Watts  is  of  in- 
terest 

"Not  all  the  blood  of  beasts 
On  Jewish  altars  slain. 
Could  give  the  guilty  conscience  peace, 
Or  wash  away  the  stain: 

But  Christ,  the  heavenly  Lamb, 

Takes  all  our  sins  away, 
A  sacrifice  of  nobler  name 

And  richer  blood  than  they." 


126  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Suggestion  :  Try  and  get  the  author's  true  idea 
of  the  word  "perfect."  The  treatment  of  the  Epistle 
in  Andrew  Murray's  book,  "The  Holiest  of  All/' 
ends  in  failure  because  of  a  wrong  interpretation 
of  the  word. 

"To  make  perfect  does  not  mean  to  endow  with 
all  excellent  qualities,  but  to  bring  to  the  end,  that 
is,  the  appropriate  end  of  that  which  corresponds  to 
the  idea.  Hence  it  is  a  relative  term,  and  may  be 
used  of  bringing  to  completion  within  a  variety  of 
spheres.  There  is  no  fluctuation  in  the  mere  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  which  is,  to  bring  to  the  appropriate 
or  appointed  end ;  the  variety  of  meaning  arises 
from  the  fact  that  ideal  finality  will  vary  according 
to  the  sphere  in  regard  to  which  it  is  spoken  of.  To 
perfect,  therefore,  is  to  put  the  people  into  the  true 
covenant  relation  of  worshippers  of  the  Lord,  to 
bring  them  into  his  full  fellowship." — Davidson. 

III.  The  Moral  Sacrifice  (10:5-10) 

Hemoky  Verse  :  10 :10 

"In  which  will  we  have  been  sanctified  through 
the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for 
all." 

The  truth  already  set  forth  in  the  last  section 
should  be  firmly  grasped.    The  blood  of  the  Old  Tes- 


THE  SUPKEME  SACKIFICE  127 

tament  sacrifices  never  did,  and  never  could,  cleanse 
the  heart  from  sin.  This  statement  is  perhaps  the 
most  startling  and  the  most  fundamental  in  the  whole 
Epistle. 

The  author  is  aware  that  his  statement  will  be 
challenged  by  his  readers  and  so  he  resorts  to  his 
usual  method  when  seeking  support  for  his  argument. 
He  makes  his  appeal  to  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  To 
the  Hebrew  Christian  they  were  the  final  authority. 
He  appeals  not  to  such  words  of  the  prophets  as-  are 
given  in  the  last  section,  but  to  one  of  the  Psalms.  He 
appeals  to  Psalm  40:G-8.  "Sacrifice  and  offering 
thou  hast  no  delight  in ;  mine  ears  hast  thou  opened : 
burnt-oifering  and  sin-oifering  hast  thou  not  required. 
Then  said  I,  Lo,  I  am  come ;  in  the  roll  of  the  book 
it  is  written  of  me:  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  my 
God;  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart."  This  fa- 
miliar passage  contains  the  following  truths: 

1.  God  was  not  satisfied  with  Old  Testament  sac- 
rifices. They  were  not  the  fruit  of  his  purpose,  nor 
the  expression  of  his  will. 

2.  The  will  of  God  concerning  sacrifice  was  to 
obtain  a  voluntary,  human  sacrifice,  not  a  dead  sac- 
rifice, but  a  living  sacrifice,  not  a  physical  body,  but 
a  human  will.  The  passage  speaks  of  "a  body"  hav- 
ing been  prepared — prepared  as  a  vehicle  for  a  per- 
fect human  life.  This  touches  the  doctrine  of  the 
Incarnation,  but  is  not  here  developed.     A  second 


128  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

thought  is  added  in  the  expression  "mine  ears  hast 
thou  opened"  which  belongs  to  the  original  passage. 
(See  Psalm  40:6-8.)  The  open  ear  signifies  an  atti- 
tude of  receptivity  to  the  word  and  will  of  God. 

3.  The  will  of  God  found  its  true  expression  in 
Christ.  He  alone  among  the  sons  of  men  could  per- 
fectly say,  "Lo  I  come  to  do  thy  will."  His  life 
was  lived,  and  He  died  his  death  in  accordance  with 
God's  will.  He  came  into  life  to  do  that  will,  and 
in  the  doing  of  God's  will,  He  found  victory. 

In  this  final  statement  there  is  an  approach  to  an 
interpretation  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ.  The  sac- 
rifice of  Christ  was  not  merely  the  offering  up  of  his 
body,  but  the  surrender  of  his  will,  his  whole  life  to 
God.  His  sacrifice  therefore  is  voluntary  and  eth- 
ical, and  enters  into  the  realm  of  religious  reality. 

Behind  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  there  is  here  also 
the  revelation  of  the  mind  and  will  of  the  eternal 
God.  The  cross  expressed  his  will.  The  death  of 
Christ  was  not  an  accident  in  the  history  of  redemp- 
tion. The  cross  was  fixed  in  the  purposes  of  God. 
(See  2:10.)  In  that  will  we,  too,  are  sanctified 
(10:10).  It  is  obedience  which  God  requires,  and 
by  identification  with  the  will  of  God,  in  Christ,  we 
too  enter  into  victory.  (See  1  Sam.  15:22,  Hosea 
6 :6.)  This  was  the  thought  which  Paul  had  in  mind 
in  Rom.  12  :1,  "I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  a  living 


THE  SUPKEME  SACRIFICE  129 

sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God,  wliicli  is  your 
spiritual  service."  Into  this  will  of  God,  perfectly 
fulfilled  in  Jesus,  we  too  must  enter,  and  there  we 
too  are  sanctified  and  saved. 

Let  us  not  miss  this  message  of  the  cross.  It  is 
Christ's  cross,  but  we  must  make  it  our  cross.  The 
cross  of  Christ  is  not  an  isolated  fact.  He  is  calling 
the  world  to  take  its  place  beside  him.  If  we  speak 
of  it  in  terms  of  any  abstract  theory  which  makes 
Him  take  our  place  apart  from  us  taking  our  place 
beside  Him,  we  make  his  cross  of  none  effect.  The 
faith  which  unites  us  to  Christ  can  alone  justify. 
This  is  the  union  with  Christ  by  virtue  of  which 
the  great  Apostle  was  able  to  say:  "I  am  crucified 
with  Christ;  nevertheless,  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ,  liveth  in  me,  and  the  life  which  I  now  live 
in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God, 
who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

It  is  said  that  Hiram  Powers,  the  sculptor,  who 
produced  the  "Liberty"  which  surmounts  the  Cap- 
itol at  Washington,  when  asked  how  he  could  keep 
so  closely  in  touch  with  American  life,  though  for 
years  his  home  had  been  in  Italy,  replied,  "I  have 
never  been  out  of  touch  with  America.  I  have 
eaten  and  slept  in  Italy  for  thirty  odd  years,  but 
I  have  never  lived  anywhere  but  in  the  United 
States." 


130  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

That  is  identification  by  faith  and  by  imagination 
with  the  spirit  of  a  great  nation.  In  this  same  way 
we  enter  into  union  with  Christ's  life  so  that  the 
spirit  that  is  in  Him  may  be  in  us,  and  the  life 
which  we  live  in  the  body  of  this  flesh  we  may  live 
in  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  so  that  we  can  say: 

"My  faith  would  lay  her  hand 
On  that  dear  head  of  thine, 
While  like  a  penitent  I  stand, 
And  there  confess  my  sin." 

By  faith  we  confess  not  only  our  sin;  we  confess 
to  the  transforming  power  of  his  love;  to  the  spirit 
of  the  cross  by  which  He  lived  his  life  and  died  his 
death ;  we  live  our  life  in  Him,  and,  "if  any  man  be 
in  Christ  Jesus,  he  is  a  new  creature,  old  things  are 
passed  away,  behold  all  things  are  become  new." 

This  interpretation  of  the  inner  meaning  of  sac- 
rifice is  receiving  to-day,  in  the  story  of  the  great 
war,  a  wonderful  confirmation.  The  true  sacrifice 
is  the  surrender  of  self  to  the  highest.  The  soldier 
on  the  battlefield  in  the  hour  of  his  supreme  sacrifice 
holds  fellowship  with  Christ.  If  he  has  felt  the  in- 
spiration which  enables  him  to  say,  "No  man  taketh 
my  life  from  me.  I  lay  it  down  of  myself,"  he  has 
taken  his  place  beside  Christ  and  found  eternal  peace. 
It  is  for  us  to  discover  in  times  of  peace  and  days 
of  quiet  the  same  secret  of  success.    To  make  God's 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  131 

will  our  will  is  to  enter  into  victory,  and  God's  will 
is  to  bring  in  the  Kingdom. 

Suggestion  :  "The  will  of  God  was  Jesus'  north 
star."  Study  the  passages  in  the  Gospels  which  speak 
of  the  will  of  God  in  the  life  of  Jesus.  See  especially 
Matt.  26:39,  Luke  9:23,  John  7:17,  Matt.  6:10, 
12 :50,  Mark  3 :35.  Compare  the  truth  expressed 
in  these  passages  with  that  contained  in  the  verses 
we  have  been  studying. 

IV.    The  Final  Sacrifice  (10:11-14) 

Memory  Verse:  10:14 

"For  by  one  offering  He  hath  perfected  for  ever 
them  that  are  sanctified." 

The  author  pursues  his  argument  concerning  the 
finality  of  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus.  The  old  sacrifices 
were  ineffectual  and  inadequate.  This  inadequacy 
was  evidenced  by  two  things.  (1)  The  priests  of 
old  stood  before  the  altar.  They  kept  their  place 
and  their  vigil.  Jesus  on  the  other  hand  has  sat 
down.  There  is  nothing  more  to  be  done.  The  vic- 
tory is  complete  and  He  rests  from  his  work.  (2) 
The  priests  of  old  offered  sacrifices  continually. 
''Every  day,"  says  Professor  Peake,  "they  offer  sac- 
rifices, which  can  never  cancel  sin.     Their  mighty 


132  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

labor,  like  that  of  Sisyphus,  ends  always  in  nothing. 
The  pathetic  inefficiency  of  all  this  elaborate  ap- 
paratus, this  daily  addition  of  nought  to  nought, 
which  at  the  end  of  the  long  centuries  has  mounted 
up  to  zero,  is  all  the  more  striking  in  the  light  of 
Christ's  sacrifice,  offered  once  only  but  effective  for 
ever.  He  now  sits  at  God's  right  hand,  having 
achieved  an  offering  acceptable  to  God,  while  the 
Jewish  priest  still  stands  to  offer  those  useless  sac- 
rifices, sad  spectacle  of  belated  incompetence.  And 
the  session,  glorious  though  it  is,  is  but  the  prelude 
to  final  triumph  over  his  foes." 

This  one  complete  and  final  offering  of  Christ 
has  made  God  and  man  one.  It  both  sanctifies  and 
perfects  (10:14). 

In  the  first  place  it  sanctifies.  It  purifies.  It 
cleanses  the  conscience.  It  brings  the  sense  of  for- 
giveness to  men. 

In  the  second  place  it  perfects.  The  fellowship 
with  God  is  made  complete.  The  victory  over  sin 
is  his,  and  in  the  confidence  of  the  throne  He  waits 
the  triumph  of  his  cross.  In  his  Passiontide  sermons. 
Canon  Liddon  gives  expression  to  the  author's  thought 
in  these  words : 

"The  blood  of  Christ.  It  was  shed  on  Calvary 
eighteen  hundred  years  ago :  but  it  flows  on  through- 
out all  time.    It  belongs  now,  not  to  the  physical  but 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  133 

to  the  spiritual  world.  It  washes  souls,  not  bodies; 
it  is  sprinkled  not  on  altars  but  on  consciences.  But, 
although  invisible,  it  is  not  for  all  that  the  less  real 
and  energetic ;  it  is  the  secret  power  of  all  that  puri- 
fies or  that  invigorates  souls  in  Christendom." 

Suggestion  :  Think  over  these  words  of  Bishop 
Westcott:  "I  cherish  the  thought  of  the  richness 
there  was  in  the  first  days  of  the  church,  when  even 
the  author  of  such  an  Epistle  as  this  should  be  a 
forgotten  man." 

V.  The  Abiding  Sacrifice  (10:15-18) 

'Memory  Verse:  10:18 

"Now  where  remission  of  these  is,  there  is  no 
more  offering  for  sin." 

m  these  verses  the  author  brings  the  long  argu- 
ment begun  with  4:14  to  a  close.  After  repeating 
the  promise  of  the  New  Covenant  as  given  in  Jere- 
miah, which  has  already  been  interpreted,  he  comes 
to  a  sudden  and  simple  conclusion.  The  new  cov- 
enant issued  in  forgiveness.  "Now  where  remission 
of  these  is,  there  is  no  more  offering  for  sin"  (10  :18). 
Forgiveness  is  the  last  word,  for  where  forgiveness 
is,  there  is  joy  and  peace  and  blessedness. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  author  believes 
that  with  forgiveness  there  comes  restored  fellowship 


134  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

and  an  abiding  mutual  communion  and  confidence 
between  God  and  man.  This  is  the  perfect  religion 
that  discovers  in  God  and  man  the  attitude  of  an 
abiding  and  unquestioning  trust. 

"Thou  in  one  fold  the  afraid  and  the  forsaken, — 
Thou  with  one  shepherding  canst  soothe  and  save ; 
Speak  but  the  word !  the  Evangel  shall  awaken 
Life  in  the  lost,  the  hero  in  the  slave." 

In  a  remarkable  study  of  forgiveness.  Dr.  George 
Adam  Smith  expresses  the  point  of  view  with  which 
the  author  concludes  the  argumentative  section  of  hia 
Epistle. 

"Amid  the  many  blessings  in  which,  through  the 
infinite  riches  of  his  mercy  in  Christ,  it  consists, 
this  stands  out,  the  most  wonderful  and  inspiring 
essential  of  all:  that  God  Himself  should  trust  us 
when  we  have  lost  all  trust  of  ourselves:  should 
believe  us  capable  of  standing  when  we  have  fallen, 
of  overcoming  where  we  have  only  known  defeat; 
and  of  again  doing  the  work,  in  which  we  have  been 
so  lax  and  unfaithful. 

"Look  you,  there  is  no  other  view  of  forgiveness 
so  lasting  or  so  ethical  as  this.  So  ethical:  for  this 
makes  it  no  mere  absolution,  no  bare  decree  of  the 
authority  of  God — whether  direct  by  the  Spirit,  or 
mediated  by  his  priests  upon  earth;  no  mere  decree 
of  the  authority  of  God,  but  the  constant  influence 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  135 

of  his  grace  and  his  will  upon  our  hearts.    In  giving 
forgiveness  God  gives  Himself." 

Suggestion:  Make  a  study  of  how  the  Bible 
speaks  of  God's  relation  to  sin  and  its  forgiveness 
(10.17).  (See  Isa.  1:18,  Psalms  85:2;  103:12; 
Isa.  38:17,  Micah  7:19,  Isa.  44:22.) 

VI.  The  Supreme  Sacrifice — Summary 

1.  Carefully  get  by  heart  the  memory  verses. 

2.  Relate  this  study  to  the  thought  of  the  Epistle. 

3.  What  are  the  essential  elements  in  any  true 
sacrifice  ? 

4.  Does  the  author  give  any  idea  as  to  the  reason 
why  sacrifices  should  be  offered?  If  so,  what  rea- 
sons does  he  give? 

5.  What  was  the  value  of  Old  Testament  sacri- 
fices? 

6.  Why  were  Old  Testament  sacrifices  a  failure? 

7.  Does  the  Old  Testament  itself  suggest  that  the 
Old  Testament  sacrifices  were  inadequate? 

8.  What  is  the  relation  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
to  the  will  of  God  ? 

9.  What  bearing  has  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  upon 
the  conception  of  God's  fatherhood? 

10.  What  is  the  relation  of  obedience  to  sacri- 
fice? 


136  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

11.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  Christ's  sacri- 
fice is  "once  for  all"  ? 

12.  What  fact  in  experience  confirms  the  finality 
and  completeness  of  Christ's  work? 

WoED  Studies 

Mediator  (9:15)  The  end  of  the  ages  (9:26) 

Inheritance  (9:15)  A  second  time  (9:28) 

Testament  (9:16)  Shadow  (10:1) 

Eemission  (9:22)  Impossible  (10:4) 

Copies    (9:23)  Sanctified  (10:10) 


Ptaper 

O  Lord,  our  God,  we  meet  Thee  under  the  shadow 
of  the  cross.  There  we  wait  and  there  we  wonder. 
It  is  there,  too,  that  we  meet  with  each  other.  We 
do  not  meet  with  each  other  in  the  joy  and  gladness 
of  life.  We  only  know  each  other  in  the  darkness, 
and  in  the  sorrow,  and  at  the  cross.  We  thank  Thee 
that  the  cross  is  in  the  center  of  the  world's  history, 
and  that  it  explains  to  ns  something  of  the  meaning 
of  life.  There  our  burdens  are  laid  down.  There 
the  long  road  ends.  There  our  sins  are  forgiven. 
There  the  heavens  are  opened,  and  the  voice  of  God 
speaks. 

God  forbid  that  we  should  glory  save  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


THE  SUPREME  SACRIFICE  137 

"Our  faith  looks  up  to  Thee, 
Thou  Lamb  of  Calvary, 

Saviour  divine: 
Now  hear  us  while  we  pray, 
Take  all  our  sins  away, 
O  let  us  from  this  day 

Be  wholly  thine."  Amen. 


STUDY  VIII 

THE  SUPREME  REALITY 

10:19—11:40 

We  have  already  noted  that  the  Epistle  is  divided 
into  two  parts.  The  part  ending  with  10:18  falls 
into  three  main  divisions,  and  is  a  connected  and 
studied  argument  dealing  with  the  supremacy  of 
the  Christian  religion.  The  second  part  which  begins 
with  10 :19  and  continues  to  the  end  of  the  Epistle 
deals  with  the  practical  application  of  the  truth 
established  in  the  first  part. 

It  would  be  a  mistake  to  think  that  the  first  part 
is  doctrine  merely.  The  whole  Epistle  is  intensely 
practical,  and  warning  and  exhortation  abound 
throughout.  The  Hebrew  Christians  to  whom  this 
message  is  addressed  were  in  danger  of  apostasy. 
They  were  tempted  to  "fall  away,"  to  "drift"  from 
the  Christian  faith,  and  the  author  is  all  anxiety 
to  confirm  them  in  the  true  faith. 

The  passage  which  we  now  study  brings  us  to  the 
heart  of  the  author's  appeal.     He  has  a  unique  way 

138 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  139 

of  looking  at  life.  It  may  be  he  has  been  influenced 
by  Greek  philosophy.  At  any  rate,  his  philosophy 
of  life  is  very  simple.  He  believes  in  two  worlds. 
The  world  that  now  is  and  the  "world  to  come"  (2 :5). 
The  world  that  now  is,  is  the  worldly  life.  The 
"world  to  come"  is  the  Christian  life.  "The  world 
to  come"  is  not  heaven  but  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
He  believes  in  the  realization  of  heavenly  conditions 
in  time.  This  real  world,  the  true  life,  is  called  by 
many  names.  He  has  spoken  of  it  as  "the  rest  of 
God."  He  calls  it  "eternal  redemption."  He  calls 
it  the  "world  to  come."  The  life  without  Christ  is 
the  shadow.  Life  with  Christ  is  the  supreme  re- 
ality. 

This  true  life  is  realized  by  faith.  The  Hebrew 
people  had  failed  to  realize  it  because  of  lack  of 
faith,  because  of  unbelief.  This  was  the  author's 
great  appeal  in  chapters  3  and  4.  This  appeal  runs 
through  the  whole  Epistle.  Faith  realizes  the  un- 
seen and  gives  substance  to  the  true.  This  is  the 
theme  of  this  present  study,  and  it  leads  us  into 
the  heart  of  the  practical  message  of  the  Epistle. 

Suggestion  :  Concerning  Bishop  Westcott,  an  in- 
timate friend  once  said,  "He  was  only  strong  be- 
cause he  saw  and  took  time  to  see."  What  sight 
is  to  the  body,  faith  is  to  the  soul.  Faith  is  a  sixth 
sense  which  enables  us  to  realize  the  invisible. 


140  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

I.  Reality  of  the  Gospel  (10:19-25) 

Memory  Verses  :  10 :19-23 

"Having  therefore,  brethren,  boldness  to  enter  into 
the  holy  place  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  by  the  way 
which  He  dedicated  for  us,  a  new  and  living  way, 
through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh ;  and  having 
a  great  priest  over  the  house  of  God;  let  us  draw 
near  with  a  true  heart  in  fulness  of  faith,  having 
our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience,  and 
having  our  body  washed  with  pure  water;  let  us 
hold  fast  the  confession  of  our  hope  that  it  waver 
not;  for  He  is  faithful  that  promised." 

In  this  passage  the  author  sums  up  the  facts  of  the 
Christian  faith  in  two  words.  The  first  word  is  "the 
blood  of  Christ"  (10:19).  The  second  word  is  "a 
great  priest"  (10:21).  The  first  speaks  of  power. 
The  first  promises  forgiveness;  the  second  assures 
fellowship.  The  first  provides  an  entrance;  the  sec- 
ond provides  an  abiding  place.  The  first  makes 
possible  the  beginning;  the  second  guarantees  the 
continuing  unto  the  end. 

Through  his  death  and  his  entrance  into  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  God,  after  his  ascension  to  God's 
right  hand.  He  has  consecrated  for  us  "a  new  and 
living  way."  It  is  "new"  because  it  is  recent.  The 
old  way  led  into  the  earthly  tabernacle;  the  new 
way  leads  to  God.    It  is  "a  living  way"  because 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  141 

Christ,  Himself,  the  living  Lord,  is  the  Way.  It 
is  not  a  way  of  form,  a  way  of  intellectual  belief, 
but  a  way  of  life  and  personal  service.  It  can  never 
grow  obsolete  for  Christ  liveth  and  abideth  forever. 

The  author's  appeal  is  urgent.  Since  such  a  way 
is  open,  "let  us  draw  near."  The  way  is  open  not 
once  a  year,  but  always.  It  is  open  not  for  one  high 
priest,  but  for  all  the  children  of  men.  There  is 
now  established  a  priesthood  of  believers  who  have 
confidence  to  enter  into  the  Holiest  through  the  blood 
of  Christ. 

This  "new  and  living  way"  is  the  Gospel,  and  it 
is  distinguished  by  three  marks. 

1.  The  Fulness  of  Faith  (10:22).  Faith  gives 
reality  to  the  promises  of  God,  and  to  the  work  of 
Christ.  Faith  is  the  great  venture  which  makes  the 
future  present  and  the  unseen  real. 

2.  The  Confession  of  Hope  (10:23).  Hope  is 
the  anchor  which  holds  us  in  abiding  confidence  to 
the  security  of  God's  promise.  "True  religion," 
says  Donald  Hankey,  in  "A  Student  in  Arms,"  "is 
betting  one's  life  there  is  a  God." 

3.  The  Service  of  Love  (10:24).  Our  life  will 
become  like  Christ's  great  life,  it  will  "provoke," 
that  is,  call  forth  the  best  in  others,  and  will  link 
the  world  in  a  true  brotherhood.  True  religion  is 
friendly  and  social.  Love  seeks  companionship  and 
so  does  the  Gospel.     One  cannot  be  a  Christian  by 


142  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

himself.  The  Gospel  calls  for  worship  and  fellow- 
ship, and  frowns  upon  "forsaking  our  own  assembling 
together"  (10:25).  We  note  in  passing  that  these 
are  the  three  Christian  graces,  Faith,  Hope,  Love, 
and  the  greatest  of  these  is  Love. 

Behind  the  Gospel  appeal  there  is  a  mighty  chal- 
lenge. It  is  the  challenge  of  "the  day"  (10 :25).  The 
day  of  judgment  is  always  approaching,  and  it  is 
given  us  to  turn  that  day  of  judgment  into  a  day  of 
salvation.  We  to-day  live  in  the  very  presence  of 
the  Judgment.  It  requires  faith  to  see  the  light  in 
the  cloud. 

"I  cannot  see  the  Christ-child 
For  the  soldiers  marching  past. 
I  cannot  hear  the  angels 
For  the  bugle's  angry  blast; 
But  I  know 

The  bells  are  ringing, 
And  that  faith  and  hope  are  clinging 
To  the  Day 

When  love  shall  crown  the  world  at  last. 

I  cannot  see  the  Christ-child 

For  the  smoke  is  in  my  eyes. 
I  cannot  hear  the  shepherds 
For  the  little  children's  cries; 
But  I  know 

The  bells  are  ringing, 
And  I  think  I  hear  the  singing 
Of  the  Day 

When  peace  like  morning  dawn  shall  rise. 


THE  SUPEEME  KEALITY  143 

I  cannot  see  the  Christ-child 

For  the  clouds  hang  dark  and  low. 
I  cannot  hear  the  wise  men 
For  the  conflict  rages  so; 
But  I  know 

The  bells  are  ringing, 
And  that  Christmas  morn  is  bringing 
In  the  Golden  Day 
Foretold  so  long  ago." 

Suggestion  :  Try  to  grasp  what  is  meant  by  the 
Protestant  doctrine  of  "the  priesthood  of  all  believ- 
ers." In  what  sense  are  all  Christians  called  to  be 
priests  ? 

II.  The  Fate  of  the  Faithless  (10:26-31) 

Memory  Verse:  10:31 

"It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God." 

The  Epistle  is  moving  forward  to  its  great  appeal. 
The  Gospel  is  a  reality,  but  we  must  lay  hold  upon 
it.  Faith  is  the  power  that  lays  hold.  The  fathers 
failed  because  of  faithlessness  and  a  worse  failure 
awaits  faithlessness  now  because  a  greater  gift  is 
offered. 

The  author  brings  his  readers  face  to  face  with 
what  awaits  the  failure  of  faith.  The  terror  of  his 
words  remind  us  of  6 :4-8. 


144  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

It  is  necessary  to  see  that  he  is  speaking  not  of 
sins  in  general,  but  of  one  sin  in  particular — the  sin 
of  apostasy.  He  is  speaking  of  "sinning  wilfully" 
and  by  this  he  means  turning  away  from  God.  An 
apostate  is  one  who  renounces  the  truth.  This  is 
the  danger  concerning  which  he  warns.  It  is  the 
final  rejection  of  the  light.  It  is  what  Jesus  meant 
by  "the  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit"  (Mark  3 :28- 
29).  The  sin  of  apostasy  puts  a  man  outside  the 
covenant  and  beyond  the  reach  of  mercy. 

This,  however,  is  no  new  act  of  justice.  Under 
the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  apostasy  was  fol- 
lowed by  death.  Under  the  new  covenant  men  are 
still  more  guilty  who  turn  their  backs  on  God.  What 
is  it  they  do  who  thus  turn  away? 

1.  They  tread  under  foot  the  Son  of  God. 

2.  They  count  the  blood  of  Christ  unholy. 

3.  They  despise  the  spirit  of  grace. 

While  it  is  true  as  was  pointed  out  in  the  former 
warning  (6:4-8)  that  there  is  operating  ceaselessly 
a  natural  law  which  brings  forth  the  fruit  of  a  hard 
heart,  there  is  also  written  into  the  urgency  of  the 
warning  the  thought  of  "the  retributive  righteous- 
ness of  God."  God  is  an  all-seeing,  a  living  God. 
"It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Living  God"  (10:31).  In  Carlyle's  essay  on  Oliver 
Cromwell,  the  great  Puritan,  he  says:  "Here  also 
are  ejaculations  caught  up  at  intervals,  undated,  in 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  145 

those  final  days:  'Lord,  Thou  knowest  if  I  do  de- 
sire to  live,  it  is  to  show  forth  thy  praise,  and  declare 
thy  works.'  Once  he  was  heard  saying,  'It  is  a 
fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Living 
God!'  This  was  spoken  three  times,  says  Harvey, 
'his  repetitions  usually  being  very  weighty,  and  with 
great  vehemency  of  spirit.'  Thrice  over  he  said  this, 
looking  into  the  eternal  kingdoms,  'a  fearful  thing 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Living  God !'  " 

The  issues  of  the  struggle  in  Europe  have  brought 
us  face  to  face  with  justice  and  the  impossibility  of 
ignoring  the  sanctions  of  conscience. 

Suggestion:  Think  through  to  the  truth  of  the 
words,  "the  living  God"  (3:12;  9:14;  10:31;  12:22). 

III.  The  Reward  of  the  Faithful  (10:32-39) 

Memory  Veese  :  10  :36 

"For  ye  have  need  of  patience,  that,  having  done 
the  will  of  God,  ye  may  receive  the  promise." 

The  author,  true  as  usual  to  his  tenderness  and 
his  tactfulness,  hastens  to  leave  the  theme  which  he 
so  urgently  has  been  presenting.  He  possesses  the 
art  of  thinking  well  of  his  people.  He  turns  from 
warning  to  encouragement.  Faith  will  not  fail  for 
faith  will  yet  be  crowned.  Christ  had  taught  him 
to  rejoice  not  in  righteousness,  but  to  rejoice  with 


146  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

the  truth;  to  bear  all  things,  believe  all  things,  hope 
all  things,  endure  all  things  (I  Cor.  13:6-7). 
His  confidence  is  based  upon  two  things: 

1.  The  Record  of  the  Past  (10:32).  Their  own 
past  challenges  them  and  at  the  same  time  claims 
them.  They  have  obligations  to  the  past.  In  days 
gone  they  had  endured  afflictions  and  reproaches. 
They  had  been  made  a  gazing-stock  for  the  world. 
They  had  even  joyfully  accepted  spoliation  and  rob- 
bery, and  in  it  all  they  had  had  compassion  upon  their 
brethren  in  bonds.  Their  past  was  full  of  victory. 
They  had  triumphed  because  in  the  great  words  of 
the  Revised  Version,  marginal  reading,  they  had 
for  themselves  "a  better  possession."  (See  Luke 
9:25.)  This  great  past  must  not  be  lost  through 
present  disloyalty.  The  claim  of  former  success  is 
always  a  present  challenge. 

2.  The  Challenge  of  the  Future  (10:37).  The 
c:u-ly  Christians  thought  that  Christ  would  come 
v.ithin  the  limit  of  their  lives.  The  long  delay  had 
led  to  disappointment.  Nevertheless  the  author  says, 
'•He  that  shall  come  will  come"  (10:37).  The  prom- 
ise is  sure.  He  will  not  tarry.  Be  patient,  and  when 
God's  will  is  accomplished  the  promise  will  be  se- 
cured (10:36).  They  must  not  permit  present  ap- 
pearances to  give  the  lie  to  the  truth.  They  must 
not  allow  the  things  they  see  to  give  a  denial  to  the 
reality  they  do  not  see.     Now,  as  always,  the  right- 


THE  SUPKEME  KEALITY  147 

eons  shall  "live  by  faith"  (10:38).  It  is  a  reference 
to  the  Hebrew  prophets  and  these  Hebrew  Chris- 
tians would  understand.  Only  by  the  exercise  of 
faith  is  victory  achieved.  Faith  issues  in  the  "sav- 
ing of  the  soul"  (10 :39).  The  word  "saving"  means 
in  the  original  "possession"  and  we  are  thus  back 
again  to  the  thought  of  10 :34.  After  all  the  greatest 
victory  is  the  winning  of  one's  self,  and  the  most 
priceless  possession,  the  possession  of  one's  own  soul. 

Suggestion:  Study  this  great  expression,  "The 
just  shall  live  by  faith."  The  original  reference  is 
in  Hab.  2  :3-4.  Compare  the  use  the  prophet  makes 
of  it  with  the  use  made  of  it  by  Paul,  by  the  author 
of  the  Hebrews,  and  by  Martin  Luther. 

IV.  Faith  and  Reality  (11:1-3) 

Memory  Verse  :   1:1 

"God,  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the  fathers 
in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers  man- 
ners." 

The  last  section  closed  with  a  striking  reference 
to  faith.  This  is  the  author's  method.  He  first  strikes 
the  keynote  which  prepares  us  for  what  is  to  fol- 
low. It  was  a  fine  keynote  and  the  music  that  fol- 
lows belong  to  the  world's  masterpieces. 

While  it  is  true  that  this  great  chapter  on  faith 
follows  naturally  from  the  thought  of  the  last  sec- 


148  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

tion,  it  is  nevertheless  related  to  the  thought  of  the 
Epistle  as  a  whole.  This  presentation  of  faith  is 
pertinent  to  the  author's  whole  conception. 

"We  have  already  seen  that  the  writer  works 
with  the  conception  of  the  two  ages.  The  age  to 
come  he  represents  as  in  a  sense  already  realized,  but 
in  another  sense  as  still  lying  in  the  future.  In 
other  words,  his  contrast  is  between  the  ideal  and 
the  actual.  Now  it  might  be  pertinently  urged  that 
this  very  fact  constituted  a  serious  objection  to  his 
argument.  If  we  live  in  this  age  why  should  we 
accept  the  religion  of  the  age  to  come?  And  has 
Jesus  put  us  in  any  better  position  than  those  who 
lived  under  the  Old  Covenant?  How  can  we  enter 
into  the  heavenly  sanctuary  until  the  veil  be  done 
away  for  us,  as  it  was  for  Him  ? 

"The  writer  surmounts  these  difficulties  by  his 
doctrine  of  faith.  While  we  are  strangers  and  pil- 
grims we  are  not  actually  inhabitants  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  But  faith  has  this  quality — that  it  can 
lift  us  into  fellowship  with  the  Unseen,  that  it  can 
carry  us  within  the  veil.  And  so,  while  we  are  still 
inhabitants  of  this  world,  we  may  at  any  moment 
through  faith  draw  nigh  and  enter  into  the  world 
to  come.  Faith  has  thus  a  power  of  realization,  by 
which  the  invisible  becomes  visible  and  the  future 
becomes  present.  While  hope  is  the  confident  an- 
ticipation of  a  future  regarded  as  future,  faith  ap- 


THE  SUPEEME  REALITY  149 

propriates  that  future  as  an  experience  of  the  pres- 
ent."— PeaJce. 

This,  then,  is  the  point  of  view  of  the  entire  Epis- 
tle. Faith  makes  "the  world  to  come"  real.  Faith 
makes  possible  the  Christian  life.  It  gives  reality 
to  things  hoped  for.  It  gives  reality  to  things  un- 
seen. 

In  the  first  verses  of  this  analysis  of  faith  two 
principles  are  set  forth. 

1.  Faith  is  a  subjective  impulse.  It  is  an  in- 
stinct of  humanity.  The  author's  point  of  view 
is  totally  different  from  that  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 
Paul's  conception  of  faith  touches  upon  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  life  of  man.  Faith  is  a 
gift  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  writer  to  the  Hebrews 
may  take  all  that  for  granted,  but  he  does  not  speak 
of  it.  He  speaks  of  faith  as  an  instinct  of  the  human 
heart,  as  the  sixth  sense  of  humanity,  as  the  pos- 
session of  all  the  children  of  men.  Men  are  in  the 
possession  of  faith,  because  they  are  men.  In  busi- 
ness, as  in  religion,  they  live  by  faith.  The  author 
is  the  forerunner  of  all  the  moderns  who  write  and 
speak  about  "faith  and  its  psychology."  He  takes 
his  place  with  Bulwer  Lytton: 

"There  is  no  unbelief; 
Whoever  plants  the  seed  beneath  the  sod 
And  waits  to  see  it  push  away  the  clod. 
He  trusts  in  God. 


150  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

Whoever  says  when  clouds  are  in  the  sky, 
*Be  patient,  heart,  light  breaketh  by  and  by, 
Trusts  the  Most  High. 

Whoever  sees  'neath  winter's  field  of  snow 
The  silent  harvest  of  the  future  grow, 
God's  power  must  know. 

Whoever  lies  down  on  his  couch  to  sleep, 
Content  to  lock  each  sense  in  slumber  deep, 
Knows  God  will  keep. 

Whoever  says,  'To-morrow,'  'the  unknown,' 
'The  future,'  trusts  the  Power  alone 
He  dares  disown." 

2.  Faith  needs  objective  realization.  The  differ- 
ence between  religious  faith  and  all  other  faith  is 
not  in  the  subjective  impulse,  but  in  the  object  which 
calls  forth  faith.  In  religious  faith  that  object  is 
God,  Himself,  his  word,  his  promises,  his  inviolate 
truth.  To  increase  one's  faith,  one  must  increase 
one's  knowledge  of  God.  To  know  God  is  to  have 
eternal  life.  This  quotation  from  Dr.  Andrew  Mur- 
ray may  be  of  help: 

"Just  as  we  have  our  senses,  through  which  we 
hold  communication  with  the  physical  universe,  so 
faith  is  the  spiritual  sense  or  organ  through  which 
the  soul  comes  into  contact  with  and  is  affected  by 
the  spiritual  world.  Just  as  the  sense  of  seeing  or 
hearing  is  a  dormant  power  till  the  objective  reality. 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  151 

the  light  or  the  sound,  strikes  it,  so  faith  in  itself 
is  a  sense  with  no  power  beyond  the  possibility  or 
capacity  of  receiving  the  impression  of  the  eternal. 
It  is  as  an  empty  vessel  which  wants  to  be  filled 
with  its  nnseen  contents.  It  is  only  when  the  eter- 
nal realities  draw  near  and  exercise  their  power  that 
faith  becomes  and  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped 
for,  the  foundation  which  they  lay  in  the  soul,  the 
proof  or  conviction  of  things  unseen,  the  convincing 
power  with  which  they  give  evidence  and  proof  of 
their  own  supernatural  existence." 

Faith  realizes  the  unseen.  It  makes  God  real. 
It  brings  heaven  near.  It  enables  men  to  walk  with 
the  unseen  Christ.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  without 
faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God  ? 

Suggestion  :  A  clearer,  truer,  view  of  God,  and 
of  his  word,  will  result  in  increase  of  faith.  When 
we  pray,  ''Lord,  increase  our  faith,"  we  lay  upon 
ourselves  the  obligation  of  Christian  service  and 
Bible  study  and  prayer. 

V.  Faith  and  History  (11:4-38) 

Memory  Verse:  11:16 

"But  now  they  desire  a  better  country,  that  is, 
a  heavenly:  wherefore  God  is  not  ashamed  of  them, 
to  be  called  their  God;  for  He  hath  prepared  for 
them  a  city." 


152  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Dr.  Bruce  has  suggested  that  the  eleventh  chap- 
ter of  Hebrews  was  probably  a  complete  document 
before  it  was  incorporated  into  the  Epistle.  He  sug- 
gests that  originally  it  may  have  been  a  sermon,  a 
brief  review  of  Hebrew  history.  It  has  been  called 
the  Westminster  Abbey  of  the  Bible,  the  Hall  of 
Fame,  the  Honor  Roll  of  the  Hebrew  nation. 

The  review  covers  the  whole  range  of  Jewish  his- 
tory. It  begins  with  the  creation  story  and  leads 
up  to  the  close  of  the  Old  Testament  revelation.  We 
wonder  why  certain  names  like  Elijah  and  Job 
are  omitted,  and  as  if  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he 
has  omitted  the  names  of  other  heroes  of  faith,  there 
is  added  towards  the  close  of  the  chapter  a  descrip- 
tion that  includes  all. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  enumeration  is 
inclusive  and  names  all  types  of  national  character. 
Dr.  F.  B.  Meyer  in  commenting  upon  this  fact  says : 

"In  this  list  are  women  as  well  as  men.  Sarah 
and  Rahab,  as  well  as  Abraham  and  Joshua;  the 
widow  of  Shunem,  and  the  mighty  prophet  who 
brought  her  son  back  to  life;  Moses,  the  student  of 
Egypt's  wisdom;  Gideon,  the  husbandman;  Isaac, 
the  grazier ;  Jacob,  the  shrewd  cattle  breeder ;  Barak, 
the  soldier;  David,  the  shepherd,  and  Samuel,  the 
prophet.  Their  occupations  and  circumstances  varied 
infinitely;  but  there  was  not  one  of  them  that  did 
not  live  under  the  influence  of  this  master  principle. 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  153 

Whatever  may  be  a  man's  lawful  calling,  he  may 
abide  therein  with  God,  under  the  influence  of  faith. 
Like  the  fir  or  pine,  faith  flourishes  in  any  soil." 

The  great  theme  of  this  wonderful  chapter  is  to 
the  effect  that  faith  gives  reality  to  the  "world  to 
come,"  to  the  things  of  the  Spirit. 

1.  Faith  gives  reality  to  the  future.  Things  that 
are  "hoped  for"  are  brought  within  the  grasp  of 
those  who  reach  out  hands  of  faith.  Abraham  saw 
on  the  far  horizon  the  outlines  of  the  City  of  God, 
and  by  faith  took  up  his  abode  in  it.  He  greeted 
promises  that  were  to  others  far  off,  and  in  his  own 
day  saw  Christ  (John  8:56).  Jacob  bestowed  upon 
Isaac  his  blessing,  which  had  to  do  with  the  inherit- 
ance of  the  age  to  come,  and  Joseph  so  realized  the 
future  of  his  nation  that  he  made  preparations  for 
his  burial  in  the  land  of  promise. 

2.  Faith  gives  reality  to  the  unseen.  Faith  gives 
substance,  or  reality  to  "things  not  seen."  By  faith 
Enoch  walked  with  God  and  in  time  lived  the  life 
eternal.  By  faith  Abraham  went  out  from  his  home 
"knowing  not  whither  he  went."  By  faith  Moses 
forsook  Egypt,  and  the  luxury  of  Pharaoh's  court, 
because  he  "endured  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible." 

Dr.  Joseph  Parker  once  said:  "He  who  walks 
by  sight  only  walks  in  a  blind  alley.  He  who  does 
not  know  the  freedom  and  joy  of  reverent,  loving 
speculation  wastes  his  life  in  a  gloomy  cell  of  the 


154  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

mouldiest  of  prisons.  Even  in  matters  that  are  not 
distinctively  religious  faith  will  be  found  to  be  the 
inspiration  and  strength  of  the  most  useful  life.  It 
is  faith  that  does  the  great  work  of  the  world.  It 
is  faith  that  sends  men  in  search  of  unknown  coasts. 
It  is  faith  that  re-trims  the  lamp  of  inquiry  when 
sight  is  weary  of  the  flame.  It  is  faith  that  unfastens 
the  cable  and  gives  men  the  liberty  of  the  seas.  It 
is  faith  that  inspires  the  greatest  works  in  civiliza- 
tion. So  we  cannot  get  rid  of  religion  unless  we 
first  get  rid  of  faith,  and  when  we  get  rid  of  faith 
we  give  up  our  birthright  and  go  into  slavery  for  ever." 
3.  Faith  gives  reality  to  character.  It  is  the  qual- 
ity of  faith  that  makes  the  difference  between  Cain 
and  Abel.  It  is  faith  which  creates  the  true  heroes 
of  history.  They  are  the  men  and  women  who,  not 
satisfied  with  things  as  they  are,  "desire  a  better 
country."  They  die  in  the  faith  of  "a  better  resur- 
rection" and  a  better  world. 

"Count  me  o'er  earth's  chosen  heroes, — they  were 
souls  that  stood  alone. 

While  the  men  they  agonized  for  hurled  the  con- 
tumelious stone. 

Stood  serene,  and  down  the  future  saw  the  golden 
beam  incline 

To  the  side  of  perfect  justice,  mastered  by  their 
faith  divine, 

By  one  man's  plain  truth  to  manhood  and  to  God's 
supreme  design." 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  155 

4.  Faith  gives  reality  to  the  possible.  Faith  does 
things.  It  is  the  great  energy  of  life.  By  faith  Co- 
lumbus discovered  America.  By  faith  Lincoln  freed 
the  slaves.  By  faith  Livingstone  redeemed  Africa. 
Faith  creates  facts.  There  is  nothing  in  literature 
so  grandly  eloquent  as  the  closing  verses  of  this  great 
chapter  (11:32-40).  Faith  performs  deeds  akin  to 
miracles. 

**In  his  speech  at  the  London  banquet  to  Lloyd 
Garrison,  June  29th,  1867,  John  Bright  told  of  an 
article  by  Harriet  Martineau  upon  'The  Martyr  Age 
of  the  United  States,'  in  which  the  great  names  con- 
nected with  the  abolitionist  cause  were  chronicled, 
and  then  added:  'When  I  read  that  article  and  the 
description  of  those  men  and  women  there  given,  I 
was  led,  I  know  not  how,  to  think  of  a  very  striking 
passage  which  I  am  sure  must  be  familiar  to  most 
here,  because  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews.  After  the  writer  of  that  Epistle  has  de- 
scribed the  great  men  and  fathers  of  the  nation,  he 
says:  'Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Gideon  and  of 
Barak  .  .  .  and  of  the  prophets  .  .  .  who  turned  to 
flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens.'  I  ask  if  this  grand 
passage  of  the  inspired  writer  may  not  be  applied 
to  that  heroic  band  who  have  made  America  the  per- 
petual home  of  freedom  ?'  " 

Huxley  somewhere  says,  "Theology  claims  that  the 


156  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

just  shall  live  by  faith:  science  says  the  just  shall 
live  by  verification."     Tennyson  says, 

''We  have  but  faith  we  cannot  know 
For  knowledge  is  of  things  we  see." 

The  author's  point  of  view  is  different  from  that 
of  both  Huxley  and  Tennyson.  He  holds  that  faith 
knows,  and  that  faith  verifies.  His  confidence  is 
based  upon  the  word  of  God.  God's  promise  cannot 
fail.  God's  truth  cannot  lie.  God  cannot  deny  Him- 
self. Knowing  God,  knowing  his  truth,  his  eternity, 
his  power,  faith  holds  that  the  abiding  reality  is 
found  in  Him  and  in  his  word  of  promise.  In  his 
very  remarkable  essay,  ''The  Will  to  Believe,"  Pro- 
fessor William  James  finely  expresses  the  author's 
point  of  view. 

"Suppose,  for  example,  that  I  am  climbing  in  the 
Alps,  and  have  had  the  ill  luck  to  work  myself  into 
a  position  from  which  the  only  escape  is  by  a  ter- 
rible leap.  Being  without  similar  experience,  I  have 
no  evidence  of  my  ability  to  perform  it  successfully; 
but  hope  and  confidence  in  myself  make  me  sure  I 
shall  not  miss  my  aim,  and  nerve  my  feet  to  ex- 
ecute what  without  those  subjective  emotions  would 
perhaps  have  been  impossible.  But  suppose  that, 
on  the  contrary,  the  emotions  of  fear  and  mistrust 
preponderate;  or  suppose  that,  having  just  read  the 
'Ethics  of  Belief,'  I  feel  it  would  be  sinful  to  act 


THE  SUPREME  REALITY  157 

upon  an  assumption  unverified  by  previous  experi- 
ence— why,  then,  I  shall  hesitate  so  long  that  at  last^ 
exhausted  and  trembling,  and  launching  myself  in 
a  moment  of  despair,  I  miss  my  foothold  and  roll 
into  the  abyss.  In  this  case  (and  it  is  one  of  an 
immense  class)  the  part  of  wisdom  clearly  is  to  be- 
lieve what  one  desires;  for  the  belief  is  one  of  the 
indispensable  preliminary  conditions  of  the  realiza- 
tion of  its  object.  There  are  then  cases  where  faith 
creates  its  own  verification.  Believe,  and  you  shall 
again  be  right,  for  you  shall  save  yourself;  doubt, 
and  you  shall  again  be  right,  for  you  shall  perish." 

When  we  add  to  our  own  desire  the  word  of  the 
eternal  God,  faith  becomes  more  than  a  venture,  it 
becomes  conviction. 

Suggestion:  Note  the  various  wording  of  11 :1  in 
the  Authorized  Version,  the  Revised  Version,  and 
the  Revised  Version  Margin.  Compare  with  Dr. 
Moffatt's  translation,  "Now  faith  means  we  are  con- 
fident of  what  we  hope  for,  convinced  of  what  we 
do  not  see." 

VI.  Faith  and  Religion   (11:39-40) 

Memory  Verses  :  11 :39— 40 

"And  these  all,  having  had  witness  borne  to  them 
through  their  faith,  received  not  the  promise,  God 


158  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

having  provided  some  better  thing  concerning  us, 
that  apart  from  us  they  should  not  be  made  per- 
fect." 

From  this  record  of  history  three  facts  follow: 

1.  Faith  sometimes  seems  to  fail.  They  lived  and 
died  in  faith  and  yet  they  discovered  not  the  reality 
in  which  they  trusted.  They  "received  not  the 
promise"  (11:39).  This  fact  faces  us  not  only  in 
Hebrew  history,  but  in  all  history.  While  it  is  true 
that  faith  is  its  own  reward,  we  yet  face  the  con- 
clusion that  if  there  is  no  reality  to  correspond  to 
the  outgoing  of  faith,  then  life  becomes  an  illusion. 
Nevertheless,  this  is  the  real  heart  of  heroism,  to  die, 
believing,  although  not  having  received  the  prom- 
ise. 

2.  Eventually  faith  always  succeeds.  If  the  prom- 
ise is  delayed,  it  is  because  some  "better  thing"  is 
waiting  us.  "God's  promises,"  says  F.  B.  Robertson, 
"are  to  the  imagination."  The  "better  things"  prom- 
ised are  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  true  and  abiding 
fellowship  with  God,  surely  better  far  than  lands 
and  cities  and  conquered  foes. 

3.  Faith  is  mutual.  It  links  men  to  men,  and 
men  to  God,  and  God  to  men.  All  humanity  is 
bound  together  in  victory  or  defeat.  Christ  has 
mingled  his  life  with  the  life  of  the  world,  and  the 
perfecting  of  all  waits  on  the  perfecting  of  each. 


THE  SUPEEME  EEALITY  159 

This  is  the  gospel  of  Christian  brotherhood.  All 
believers  are  partners  together  in  the  final  revela- 
tion of  a  perfected  redemption. 

Suggestion  :  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  word 
"better"  occurs  thirteen  times  in  this  Epistle.  Col- 
lect these  passages  and  estimate  their  message. 

VII.  The  Supreme  Reality— Summary 

1.  Carefully  get  by  heart  the  memory  verses. 

2.  Kelate  this  study  to  the  teaching  of  the  Epistle. 

3.  What  two  elements  are  found  in  faith  ? 

4.  What  is  the  author's  conception  of  faith  ? 

5.  Contrast  the  author's  conception  of  faith  with 
that  of  Paul. 

6.  Upon  what  facts  is  the  Gospel  founded  ? 

7.  What  are  the  essential  graces  of  the  Christian 
religion  ? 

8.  What  is  meant  by  the  priesthood  of  believers? 

9.  What  does  apostasy  mean? 

10.  What  motives  to  loyalty  does  the  author  urge 
upon  his  readers  ? 

11.  What  place  does  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the 
Epistle  hold  in  the  thought  of  the  author  ? 

12.  Why  does  faith  sometimes  seem  to  fail? 

13.  What  is  the  relation  of  faith  to  reality? 


160  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Study  of  Woeds  in  Chapter  10 

'New  and  living  way  (20)  Sin  wilfully  (26) 
Veil  (20)  Despite  (29) 

Provoke  (24)  Vengeance  (30) 

Good  works  (24)  Illumined  (32) 

The  day  (25)  Gazing-stock  (33) 


Our  Heavenly  Father,  Thou  Thyself  hast  taught 
us  to  trust  Thee.  We  would  not  be  seeking  Thee  if 
Thou  Thyself  hadst  not  already  found  us.  Give 
us  faith  to  trust  Thee  in  the  darkness.  Give  us 
faith  to  trust  Tliee  in  the  light,  for  we  so  often 
think  we  can  walk  alone  when  the  way  is  not  dark. 
Give  us  faith  not  only  in  God,  but  also  in  one  an- 
other, and  may  we  carry  the  good  news  of  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  into  other  homes  and  to  other  hearts.   Amen. 


STUDY  IX 

THE  SUPREME  CULTURE 

12:1-29 

The  goal  of  the  Epistle  is  Christian  character. 
The  author  seeks  to  win  men  to  the  Christian  life. 
The  aim  of  the  Epistle  is  practical. 

The  first  readers  were  ready  to  let  go.  They  were 
tired  of  the  struggle  and  impatient  under  suffer- 
ing. 

The  Epistle  is  now  at  the  place  where  words  of 
heartening  encouragement  can  be  spoken.  The  pres- 
ent suffering  is  not  aimless.  God  is  behind  the  world 
movements  that  try  men's  souls.  Have  patience  and 
in  the  end  all  will  be  well. 

This  is  not  the  first  time  God  has  shaken  the 
world.  He  has  shaken  it  before.  He  will  shake  it 
again.  This  shaking  is  to  the  end  that  the  things 
that  cannot  be  shaken  may  endure. 

Cling,  then,  says  the  Epistle,  to  the  enduring 
things.  Be  patient  and  believe  that  God's  word 
cannot  fail  and  that  his  will  shall  endure. 

161 


(0 

o; 

,  DEC 

:^    1931    '^ 

(.  .•' 

,  .     .V.  \^V 

162  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Suggestion:  Relate  the  author's  thought  to  these 
words  of  Tennyson: 

"Cling  to  Faith  beyond  the  forms  of  Faith ; 
She  reels  not  in  the  storm  of  warring  words, 
She  sees  the  best  that  glimmers  through  the  worst. 
She  feels  the  sun  is  hid  but  for  a  night, 
She  spies  the  summer  through  the  winter  bud, 
She  tastes  the  fruit  before  the  blossom  falls, 
She  hears  the  lark  within  the  songless  egg, 
She  finds  the  fountain  where  they  wailed,  'Mirage.' 
And  lay  thine  uphill  shoulder  to  the  wheel, 
And  climb  the  Mount  of  Blessing;  whence,  if  thou 
Look  higher,  then — perchance — thou  mayest  beyond 
A  hundred  ever-rising  mountain  lines 
And  past  the  range  of  Night  and  Shadows — see 
The  high  heaven  dawn  of  more  than  mortal  day 
Strike  on  the  Mount  of  Vision!" 


I.  The  Culture  of  Faith  (12:1-3) 

Memory  Veeses  :  12  :l-2 

"Therefore  let  us  also,  seeing  we  are  compassed 
about  with  so  gi-eat  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  lay  aside 
every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset 
lis,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set 
before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus  the  author  and  perfect- 
er  of  our  faith,  who  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before 
Him  endured  the  cross,  despising  shame,  and  hath 
sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God." 

The  example  of  the  past  is  the  encouragement  of 


THE  SUPKEME  CULTUEE  163 

the  present.  As  Napoleon  pointing  to  the  Pyramids 
said  to  his  army,  "Soldiers,  forty  centuries  look  down 
on  you,"  so  the  author  bids  his  readers  take  notice 
of  the  "cloud  of  witnesses"  who  now,  crowned  with 
victory,  watch  them  in  the  race. 

The  language  suggests  the  ancient  stadium  where 
the  Grecian  games  were  held,  and  the  author  sees 
the  long  line  of  heroes  whose  names  he  has  called 
in  the  preceding  chapter  looking  down,  upon  the 
contestants.  Tier  upon  tier  of  white  faces  look  down 
upon  those  who  contend  for  mastery. 

In  the  presence  of  those  who  watch,  let  us  run  the 
race  so  as  to  win  with  them  the  victory.  The  condi- 
tions of  victory  are  as  follows : 

1.  Lay  aside  every  weight.  The  word  refers  to 
anything  that  hinders  in  the  race,  any  encumbrance, 
any  habits  of  life,  or  social  connections,  that  handi- 
cap (I  Cor.  9:24-27).  "An  appetite,  though  law- 
ful, that  tends  to  gain  on  one;  devotion  to  some 
pursuit  in  danger  of  absorbing  the  mind ;  an  affection 
that  threatens  to  turn  away  the  heart — such  things 
are  weights." 

2.  Lay  aside  every  besetting  sin.  The  Revised 
Version  margin  translates  this  difficult  expression 
"the  sin  that  doth  closely  cling  to  us."  The  word 
in  the  Greek  means  "to  cling  closely"  and  it  occurs 
nowhere  else  in  the  New_Testament.  Professor  Peake 
remarks:     "There  are  several  possible  translations, 


164  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

such  as  ^easily  avoided/  'much  admired,'  or  'popular,' 
'close  clinging.'  While  the  second  of  these  is  sug- 
gested by  the  form  of  the  word,  it  does  not  yield 
a  very  good  sense,  and  the  first  gives  a  meaning 
quite  inapplicable.  The  last  yields  an  excellent  sense 
in  the  context.  Sin  clings  about  the  runner  of  the 
heavenly  race  like  a  long,  close-fitting  robe,  impeding 
his  every  movement  or  even  tripping  him  up." 

The  besetting  sin,  of  course,  is  unbelief.  This  is 
the  closely  clinging  sin  that  trips  a  man  up  and 
writes  failure  across  his  life.  Unbelief  is  the  crown- 
ing sin. 

3.  Run  with  patience.  In  6:12  the  author  bids 
his  readers  to  be  "followers  of  them  who  through 
faith  and  patience  inherit  the  promises."  If  faith 
can  realize  the  unseen,  then  the  future  is  swallowed 
up  in  the  present  reality. 

4.  Look  to  Jesus.  Amid  all  the  heroes  of  the 
past,  He  is  first.  He  is  the  great  example  of  a  life 
of  faith.  He  trusted  to  the  last  limit  of  life  and  in 
death  commended  his  soul  to  God.  He  is  the  author 
and  finisher,  not  of  our  faith,  but  of  his  own.  Do 
not  fail  to  see  that  the  little  word  "our"  spoils  the 
whole  sense  of  the  passage.  Jesus  among  all  the  sons 
of  men  is  the  finest  example  of  faith.  "He  was  the 
first  that  could  be  called  faithful."  None  ever  re- 
alized the  unseen  as  did  He.  Because  by  faith  He 
realized  the  joy  that  was  before  Him,  He  endured 


THE  SUPREME  CULTURE  165 

the  pain  of  the  cross,  and  is  now  enjoying  his  corona- 
tion. This  is  faith  indeed,  and  it  will  help  and  heart- 
en us  to  keep  our  eyes  ever  fixed  upon  Him. 

Suggestion  :  The  New  Testament  speaks  of  life 
as  a  race,  as  a  battle,  as  a  journey.  Compare  the  au- 
thor's language  with  that  of  Paul  (I  Cor.  4:9;  II 
Cor.  11:24-27;  Phil.  3:12-14;  I  Tim.  6:12). 

II.  The  Culture  of  Love  (12:3-13) 

Memory  Vekse:     12:11 

"All  chastening  seemeth  for  the  present  to  be  not 
joyous  but  grievous ;  yet  afterward  it  yieldeth  peace- 
able fruit  unto  them  that  have  been  exercised  there- 
by, even  the  fruit  of  righteousness." 

This  section  heads  up  as  it  were  the  practical 
application  of  the  Epistle.  The  author  might  have 
closed  here. 

The  Hebrew  Christians  to  whom  the  Epistle  was 
addressed  were  being  severely  tried  and  tested  in  the 
fire  of  persecution.  They  were  being  tempted  be- 
cause of  their  suiferings.  They  were  in  danger  of 
apostasy,  and  the  author  has  pled  for  patience,  for 
faith,  for  confidence  in  the  supremacy  of  the  Gospel 
of  the  cross.  Now  he  brings  his  creed  to  bear  upon 
conduct,  and  applies  the  great  doctrines  he  has  in- 
terpreted to  the  purposes  of  comfort.     He  urges  pa- 


166  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

tience  and  endurance  unto  the  end  for  the  follow- 
ing reasons : 

1.  The  fact  of  Jesus.  He  asks  them  to  "consider 
Him."  He  brings  to  their  remembrance  the  suffer- 
ings and  patience  of  Christ,  and  shows  them  that 
they  have  not  approached  to  Him  in  suffering.  He 
went  to  the  last  limit  of  life,  suffering  persecution 
and  death  but  still  believing,  trusting.  All  that  He 
endured  did  not  swerve  Him  from  his  purpose, 
neither  did  it  have  power  to  harm  Him.  The  gain- 
saying of  sinners  touched  Him  not  for  it  was  "against 
themselves"  that  they  fought. 

2.  The  fact  of  God's  fatherhood.  There  is  a  dif- 
ference between  punishment  and  chastisement.  God 
is  our  Father.  We  are  his  children.  We  are  "sons." 
We  must  not  forget  this.  When  affliction  comes,  it 
comes  from  the  Father's  hand,  and  for  the  children's 
good.  In  childhood  we  are  blind,  but  later  on  we 
see  the  value  of  chastisement.  "I  don't  see  why  God 
made  me,"  says  one  of  George  Macdonald's  charac- 
ters, and  the  answer  is  given,  "God  hasn't  made 
you  yet.  He  is  making  you  and  you  don't  like  it." 
God  is  the  Father  of  spirits,  and  spirit,  life,  char- 
acter, is  the  precious  thing  in  his  sight. 

3.  The  fact  of  comfort.  Suffering  is  the  great 
teacher.  Jesus  was  "perfected  through  suffering," 
fitted  by  sympathy  to  become  the  Saviour,  the  high 
priest  of  all  humanity.     Through  suffering,  we,  too, 


THE  SUPKEME  CULTURE  1C,7 

are  fitted  to  serve  others,  by  lifting  them  up  and  by 
making  straight  the  path  for  their  feet.  It  is  the 
argument  that  Paul  uses  "that  we  may  be  able  to 
comfort  them  that  are  in  any  affliction,  through  the 
comfort  wherewith  we  ourselves  are  comforted  of 
God"  (II  Cor.  1:4). 

Suggestion:  From  this  passage  obtain  a  clear 
conception  of  the  Christian  attitude  towards  suf- 
fering, and  note  the  attitudes  mentioned  in  the  pas- 
sage. Some  "despise"  it  (12:5),  and  some  "faint" 
under  it  (12:5).    Some  "endure"  it  (12:7). 

Why  is  it  true  that 

"The  path  of  sorrow,  and  that  path  alone, 
Leads  to  the  land  where  sorrow  is  unknown"  ? 

III.  The  Culture  of  Service  (12:14-17) 

]Memory  Verse:  12:14 

"Follow  after  peace  with  all  men,  and  the  sanc- 
tification  without  which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

From  the  personal  the  author  turns  his  thought  to 
the  community.  The  church  is  in  danger  of  col- 
lapse because  of  the  wearing  away  of  "inner  confi- 
dences." Dissensions  and  differences  caused  by  mis- 
imderstandings  and  rivalries  have  undermined  the 
witnessing  power  of  the  church,  and  the  author  pleads 
for  peace  and  holiness. 


168  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

It  is  only  by  raising  the  spiritual  atmosphere  of 
the  church  that  the  danger  can  be  averted.  "As 
when  the  tide  recedes  the  waters  fret  and  raise  angry 
surf  upon  the  sunken  rocks,  but  when  it  has  ad- 
vanced in  full  flow  these  rocks  are  submerged  and 
there  is  deep  stillness  over  them,  so  in  the  full  tide 
of  consecration  unto  God  all  causes  of  disquietude 
are  swallowed  and  covered." 

Very  cautiously  the  author  hints  at  what  seems 
to  be  the  fact  that  some  individual  is  the  disturber 
of  the  peace  of  the  church.  Some  one  who,  like  Esau, 
is  a  "profane"  person,  who  instead  of  making  the 
unseen  world  a  reality  through  faith,  lives  for  the 
things  that  are  seen,  and  for  them  only.  A  "profane" 
person  is  one  to  whom  nothing  is  sacred.  He  is  "a 
man  of  a  common  type  of  mind  devoted  to  lower  and 
earthly  pursuits,  without  love  or  appreciation  of  what 
is  noble  and  spiritual." 

The  position  of  such  a  man  is  tragic.  Having 
sold  his  spiritual  birthright  he  can  never  get  it  again. 
He  can  never  find  a  place  for  "repentance."  Ee- 
pentance  here  does  not  mean  penitence  which  brings 
forgiveness.  It  has  here  no  theological  meaning.  The 
author  is  saying  over  again  what  he  has  so  forcibly 
said  before,  that  apostasy  is  a  hopeless  condition. 
The  effect  of  the  past  cannot  be  undone.  The  past 
to  men  like  Esau  is  irreparable.  Faith  like  oppor- 
tunity says: 


THE  SUPKEME  CULTURE  169 

"Master  of  human  destinies  am  I ! 

Fame,  love  and  fortune  on  my  footsteps  wait. 
Cities  and  field  I  walk ;  I  penetrate 

Deserts  and  seas  remote,  and  passing  by 
Hovel  and  mart  and  palace,  soon  or  late 
I  knock  unbidden  once  at  every  gate! 

If  sleeping,  wake;  if  feasting,  rise  before 
I  turn  away.    It  is  the  hour  of  fate, 
And  they  who  follow  me  reach  every  state 
Mortals  desire,  and  conquer  every  foe 

Save  death ;  but  those  who  doubt  or  hesitate, 
Condemned  to  failure,  penury  and  woe, 

Seek  me  in  vain  and  uselessly  implore. 
I  answer  not,  and  I  return  no  more !" 

Suggestion:    Compare  the  word  "afterward"  of 
12  :17  with  the  "afterward"  of  12  :11. 


IV.    The  Culture  of  the  Cross  (12:18-24) 

Memory  Verses  :  12  :22-24 

"But  ye  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the 
city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and 
to  innumerable  hosts  of  angels,  to  the  general  as- 
sembly and  church  of  the  first  born  who  are  enrolled 
in  heaven,  and  to  God  the  judge  of  all,  and  to  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the 
mediator  of  a  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of 
sprinkling  that  speaketh  better  than  Abel." 

The  Epistle  is  closing  in  to  its  conclusion.    It  calls 


170  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

for  loyalty.  It  challenges  these  Hebrew  Christians 
to  stand  fast,  to  be  true,  to  endure.  The  author 
has  brought  before  them  the  true  philosophy  of  suf- 
fering, and  shown  them  the  fatherhood  of  God,  and 
the  brotherhood  of  Christ.  He  brings  them  now 
face  to  face  with  their  opportunity,  their  privilege, 
their  responsibility^ 

In  Old  Testament  times  the  people  of  God  ap- 
proached him  only  through  symbols.  The  symbols 
were  suggestive  of  majesty  and  mystery,  but  they 
were  in  the  end  barriers  to  God.  They  came  to  God 
through  a  mountain  that  burned,  and  could  not  be 
touched,  through  fire  and  blackness  and  darkness 
where  nothing  could  be  seen,  through  the  voice  of  a 
trumpet  that  silenced  even  heavenly  voices.  It  was 
a  revelation  built  on  awe  and  wonder  and  religious 
fear. 

Under  the  Gospel,  the  people  of  God  are  in  touch 
not  with  symbols  but  with  reality.  They  deal  not 
with  shadows  but  with  the  substance  of  things  spirit- 
ual. Instead  of  a  burning  mountain  they  come  to 
the  city,  the  dwelling  place  of  God.  They  come  to 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  In  a  word  they  come  to 
God  Himself,  the  judge  of  all,  the  last  and  only  re- 
ality. They  come  also  to  angels  and  to  redeemed  men 
made  perfect,  and  last  and  best  of  all,  they  come  to 
Jesus,  whose  blood  speaks  of  better  things,  of  mercy 
and  of  love,  rather  than  of  vengeance  and  retribu- 


THE  SUPKEME  CULTUKE  171 

tion.  "That  was  the  blood  of  martyrdom;  this  of 
sacrifice.  That  accursed,  as  it  cried  from  the  ground ; 
this  only  pleads  for  mercy.  That  announced  wrath ; 
this  proclaims  reconciling  love.  That  led  to  punish- 
ment which  branded  the  murderer;  this  issues  in 
salvation.     That  was  unto  death;  this  is  unto  life." 

Suggestion:  Note  the  use  of  the  present  tense, 
"Ye  are  come"  in  12 :22.  Faith  makes  the  future 
present  and  even  now  creates  the  reality. 

V.  The  Culture  of  Judgment  (12:25-29) 

Memory  Verses  :  12  :27-29 

"And  this  word,  Yet  once  more,  signifieth  the  re- 
moving of  those  things  that  are  shaken,  as  of  things 
that  have  been  made,  that  those  things  which  are 
not  shaken  may  remain.  Wherefore,  receiving  a 
kingdom  that  cannot  be  shaken,  let  us  have  grace, 
whereby  we  may  offer  service  well-pleasing  to  God 
with  reverence  and  awe :  for  our  God  is  a  consuming 
fire." 

The  author  is  not  afraid  to  make  use  of  the  emo- 
tion of  fear  in  presenting  his  appeal.  There  is  a  cul-" 
ture  in  fear  as  well  as  in  love,  and  men  must  face 
the  fire  of  God  as  well  as  the  love  of  God.  "Our 
God  is  a  consuming  fire"  (12:29).  Fire  is  always 
associated  with  judgment.  Fire  separates  the  gold 
from  the  dross.     In  the  fire  the  dross  is  consumed. 


172  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

In  the  fire  the  gold  is  purified.  "The  fire  of  the 
furnace  which  is  hatred  to  the  dross  is  love  to  the 
gold." 

The  judgment  is  ushered  in  by  a  voice.  Through- 
out the  Epistle  that  voice  is  heard  speaking  (3:7; 
4 :7 ;  12 :19,  26).  It  is  the  voice  that  speaks  in  revela- 
tion. It  is  the  revelation  of  God  in  Christ.  He  is 
the  V7ord  of  God.  He  is  the  truth,  and  truth  al- 
ways "shakes  the  earth."  When  the  voice  of  God 
spoke  at  Sinai  the  earth  shook  (12:26).  The  moral 
law  of  Sinai  was  felt  like  an  electric  shock  over  all 
the  earth.  Before  that  shaking  idols  fell,  falsehoods 
fell,  immorality  fell,  pagan  creeds  and  heathen  shrines 
fell.  Righteousness  and  truth  alone  stood  the  shock. 
Truth,  like  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  divides  and  sep- 
arates. 

The  voice  that  spoke  at  Sinai  speaks  again  in 
Christ.  The  truth  that  He  reveals  shakes  not  earth 
only  but  also  heaven.  He  is  the  gi'cat  awakener,  the 
great  antagonist.  He  is  set  for  the  falling  and  the 
rising  of  many  (Luke  2:34).  Because  He  is  the 
revealer  of  truth,  of  spiritual  ideas,  and  world  ideals, 
He  comes  not  to  send  peace  upon  the  earth  but  a 
sword  (Matt.  10:34).  With  his  coming  old  things 
are  passed  away  and  all  things  are  made  new.  The 
shaking  of  the  world,  through  his  Gospel,  causes  the 
false  things  of  life  to  fall  so  that  these  things  that 


THE  SUPKEME  CULTURE  173 

cannot  be  shaken  may  remain  (12:27).  The  things 
that  cannot  be  shaken !  What  are  they  but  the  love 
of  God,  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  service  of  God  ? 

"Once,  so  the  legend  goes,  along  the  winding  shore 
of  the  blue  ^gean  Sea  the  mournful  cry  was  heard, 
'Great  Pan  is  dead.'  And  the  deities  of  classic 
Greece  departed  from  their  thrones,  and  the  oracles 
left  the  temples,  and  the  sprites  of  mountain  and 
woodland  were  seen  no  more  for  ever.  A  religion 
died.  And  later  again,  far  away  in  the  desolate 
North,  there  sounded  another  yet  more  bitter  cry, 
'Baldur  is  dead — Baldur  the  Good,  the  Beautiful.* 
And  amid  the  terrific  conflict  of  the  twilight  of  the 
gods  the  old  Scandinavian  deities  perished  in  their 
turn,  and  another  religion  died.  Yes,  many  religions  • 
have  died.  But  Christianity  does  not  die  and  cannot 
die." 

The  passage  recalls  the  story  of  Bishop  Coxe's 
great  hymn: 

''O  where  are  kings  and  empires  now 
Of  old  that  went  and  came  ? 
But,  Lord,  thy  Church  is  praying  yet 
A  thousand  years  the  same. 

We  mark  her  goodly  battlements, 

And  her  foundations  strong; 
We  hear  within  the  solemn  voice 

Of  her  unending  song. 


174  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

For  not  like  kingdoms  of  the  world 

Thy  holy  Church,  O  God; 
Though  earthquake  shocks  are  threaten- 
ing her, 

And  tempests  are  abroad; 

Unshaken  as  eternal  hills, 

Immovable  she  stands, 
A  mountain  that  shall  fill  the  earth, 

A  house  not  made  with  hands." 

What  has  happened  before  in  history  will  happen 
again.  Civilizations  will  pass  away.  Christ  remains 
and  upon  Him  the  new  and  abiding  civilization  will 
be  built. 

Upon  the  tree  of  judgment  grow  three  fruits  of 
the  Spirit  which  make  for  true  Christian  culture. 

1.  Grace.  The  margin  gives  us  the  word  "thank- 
fulness," and  reminds  us  that  the  shaking  of  judg- 
ment is  for  the  establishment  of  righteousness  and 
peace.  Peace  in  the  world  and  peace  in  the  heart. 
In  his  "Grace  Abounding"  Bunyan  reveals  what  the 
passage  meant  to  his  own  heart : 

"Being  now  ready  to  sink  with  fear,  suddenly 
there  was,  as  if  there  had  rushed  in  at  the  window, 
the  noise  of  wind  upon  me,  but  very  pleasant,  and 
as  if  I  heard  a  voice  speaking,  'Didst  thou  ever 
refuse  to  be  justified  by  the  blood  of  Christ  V  and 
withal  my  whole  life  of  profession  past  was  in  a 
moment  opened  to  me,  wherein  I  was  made  to  see 


THE  SUPREME  CULTURE  175 

that  desig-nedly  I  had  not;  so  my  heart  answered 
groaningly,  'No.'  Then  fell  with  power  that  word 
of  God  upon  me,  'See  that  ye  refuse  not  Him  that 
speaketh'  (Heb.  12 :25).  This  made  a  strange  seizure 
upon  my  spirit;  it  brought  light  with  it,  and  com- 
manded a  silence  in  my  heart,  of  all  those  tumul- 
tuous thoughts,  that  did  before  use,  like  masterless 
hellhounds,  to  roar  and  bellow  and  make  an  hideous 
noise  within  me.  It  showed  me  also  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  yet  a  word  of  grace  and  mercy  for  me." 

2.  Service.  If  the  things  that  are  worth  while 
remain  unshaken,  we  may  labor  with  patience.  He 
that  sows  must  reap.  It  is  the  conclusion  of  Paul's 
great  argument  concerning  death  and  the  assurance 
of  life  everlasting.  "Wherefore,  my  beloved  breth- 
ren, be  ye  stedfast,  unmovable,  always  abounding  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know  that 
your  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord."  The  great 
war  has  sounded  the  note  of  service  above  all  other 
words.    It  is  Christ's  message  to  our  age. 

3.  Reverence.  Is  it  not  true  that  reverence  is  the 
missing  note  in  the  life  of  our  modern  world  ?  How 
can  we  awaken  a  true  and  abiding  spirit  of  reverence  ? 
By  an  adequate  idea  of  God.  "Our  God  is  a  con- 
suming fire."  To  the  people  of  our  age  the  words 
of  long  ago  are  still  pertinent.  "Take  off  thy  shoes 
from  off  thy  feet  for  the  place  whereon  thou  stand- 
est  is  holy  ground." 


176  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

In  humility  let  us  make  this  prayer  our  prayer: 
"0  God,  who  art  as  fire,  be  Thou  a  consuming 
fire  to  our  inbred  sins;  burn  deeply  into  our  inmost 
hearts,  until  all  that  grieves  Thee  is  compelled  to 
yield  to  the  holy  intensity  of  thy  grace,  and  our 
whole  being,  made  free  from  sin,  begins  to  serve 
Thee  in  holiness  and  righteousness,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  Who  came  to  kindle  thy  sacred  fire  on  the 
earth !" 

Suggestion:  Make  a  thoughtful  study  of  the 
places  of  "fear'"  in  the  thought  of  the  Epistle.  (See 
2:15;  4:1;  10:31;  13:6;  10:27.) 

VI.  The  Supreme  Culture — Summary 

1.  Memorize  carefully  the  memory  verses. 

2.  Connect  this  section  with  the  preceding  sec- 
tion and  with  the  entire  thought  of  the  Epistle. 

3.  Why  is  Jesus  called  the  author  and  finisher  of 
faith  ? 

4.  What  is  the  author's  interpretation  of  the  prob- 
lem of  human  suffering? 

5.  What  is  the  difference  between  chastisement 
and  punishment? 

6.  What  help  to  bear  suffering  does  the  author 
give? 

7.  What  is  meant  by  the  words  "no  place  of  re- 
pentance"  (12:17)? 


THE  SUPEEME  CULTURE  177 

8.  Show  that  the  comparison  between  the  old  and 
the  new  is  characteristic  of  the  whole  Epistle. 

9.  What  is  meant  by  the  words,  "A  kingdom  that 
cannot  be  moved"  ? 

10.  What  definitions  of  "God"  are  given  in  the 
Epistle  ? 

Studies  op  Words  in  Chapter  12 

Beset  (1)  Partakers  (10) 

Author  and  finisher  (2)  Healed  (13) 

Joy  set  before  (2)  Grace  of  God  (15) 

Against  themselves  (3)  Profane  (16) 

Forgotten  (5)  Eepentance  (17) 

Chasteneth  (6)  Firstborn  (23) 

A  few  days  (10)  Yet  once  more  (26) 


Ptapet 

'Holy  Spirit,  heavenly  Dove, 
Dew  descending  from  above, 
Breath  of  life  and  fire  of  love; 
Hear  us,  Holy  Spirit. 

All  our  evil  passions  kill, 
Bend  aright  our  stubborn  will, 
Though  we  grieve  Thee,  patient  still; 
Hear  us,  Holy  Spirit. 


178  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

Come  to  aid  the  souls  who  yearn 
More  of  truth  divine  to  learn, 
And  with   deeper   love  to  burn; 
Hear  us,  Holy  Spirit. 

Holy,  loving,  as  Thou  art, 
Come,  and  live  within  our  heart; 
IS^ever  more  from  us  depart; 
Hear  us.  Holy  Spirit." 


STUDY  X 

THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE 

13:1-25 

This  study  brings  us  to  the  eonclusion  of  the  Epis- 
tle. True  to  the  author's  purpose,  already  abundant- 
ly revealed,  he  concentrates  upon  religion  rather  than 
upon  theology.  Eeligion  is  life.  Theology  is  the  in- 
terpretation of  life. 

The  chapter  gathers  up  into  concise  and  simple 
words  the  author's  exhortations  looking  to  the  man- 
ifestation in  humble  tasks  and  common  ways  of 
the  true  spirit  of  the  Christian  life  and  hope.  The 
religion  of  Jesus,  like  the  life  of  Jeeus,  is  best  re- 
vealed in  ordinary  affairs,  in  the  home,  in  business, 
in  the  daily  round  of  duty. 

"The  Christian  is  the  workshop  of  God."  In 
the  heart  of  his  children,  world  conflicts  are  born 
and  world  victories  achieved.  The  whole  creation 
waits  for  "the  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God," 
and  the  author  of  the  Epistle  challenges  those  who 
name  the  sacred  name  to  prove  their  creed  by  their 
conduct,  and  their  love  by  their  life.     "The  world 

179 


180  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

is  interested  in  Mr.  Gladstone,"  said  Lord  Morley, 
"not  so  much  because  of  what  he  did  but  because 
of  what  he  was." 

Suggestion  :  "The  more  a  man  lives  in  heaven,  the 
better  fitted  he  is  to  live  on  earth."  Show  the  true 
relation  of  creed  and  conduct,  and  show  how  religious 
faith  is  related  to  social  service. 


I.  The  Challenge  of  Brotherhood  (13:1-6) 

Memory  Verse:   13:1 
"Let  love  of  the  brethren  continue." 

"Fear"  is  not  the  author's  last  word.  His  last 
word  is  "love."  True  to  his  art  as  a  teacher  he  knows 
the  value  of  appreciation  and  encouragement.  "Let 
brotherly  love  continue"  (13:1).  It  is  enough,  he 
says,  to  do  as  you  have  been  doing.  He  follows  his 
own  advice  and  seeks  to  "provoke  to  love  and  to 
good  works."  This  art  of  appreciation  he  has  con- 
sistently followed  (6:10;  10:24,  34). 

Brotherhood  is  the  fruit  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 
"See  how  these  Christians  love  one  another,"  was 
the  comment  of  the  world  upon  the  conduct  of  the 
early  Christians.  They  said  of  Sir  Walter  Scott 
that  he  treated  every  man  like  a  born  brother.  That 
was  a  fine  thing  to  say.    Brotherhood,  too,  is  a  fruit 


THE  SUPEEME  CHALLENGE        181 

of  the  sacrifice  and  sorrow  of  these  days  of  Tvar.  That 
was  the  spirit  of  Jesus.  It  is  the  spirit  of  Christ 
gained  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  cross.  "No  man 
hath  seen  God  at  any  time.  If  a  man  say,  'I  love 
God/  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar,  for  he 
that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  can- 
not love  God  whom  he  has  not  seen." 

1.  Brotherliness  quickly  reveals  itself  in  the  grace 
of  hospitality.  Hospitality  was  one  of  the  first  and 
finest  of  the  graces  of  the  early  Church.  The  perse- 
cuted and  unfortunate  members  of  the  "brotherhood" 
found  a  welcome  wherever  the  name  of  Christ  was 
named.  The  early  Christians  built  their  houses  "by 
the  side  of  the  road  where  the  race  of  men  go  by," 
and  in  the  bestowment  of  hospitality  they  received  a 
heavenly  benediction  and  the  fellowship  of  angels. 

2.  The  spirit  of  brotherhood  expresses  itself  in 
sympathy.  Everywhere  in  those  days  could  be  found 
brethren,  some  "in  bonds"  and  some  "evil  entreated" 
(13 :3).  Above  everything  else,  the  Christian  is  sym- 
pathetic. "Why  are  we  not  kinder  to  one  another  ?" 
asks  Henry  Drummond,  and  to  his  searching  ques- 
tion each  of  us  must  make  answer. 

3.  Brotherhood  reveals  itself  in  home  happiness 
(13:4).  True  Christianity  makes  the  family  the 
true  center  of  society.  Anything  that  robs  marriage 
of  its  sanctity,  or  the  home  of  its  sacredness,   or 


182  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

love  of  its  loyalty,  is  not  of  the  spirit  of  Christ. 
Speaking  of  Luther,  Professor  Stalker  has  said: 
"To  the  ordinary  mind,  Luther  has  a  sufficient  title 
to  honor  in  the  gift  to  the  world  of  three  blessings — 
an  open  Bible,  the  worship  of  God  in  the  language 
of  the  people,  and  the  Protestant  manse  with  wife 
and  children." 

4.  Brotherliness  manifests  itself  in  Christian  con- 
tentment. It  snuns  covetousness  and  self-aggrandise- 
ment and  trusts  both  God  and  men  in  all  honesty 
and  industry.  Brotherhood  believes  in  fatherhood 
and  it  belongs  to  fatherhood  to  care  for  the  children. 
"I  will  in  no  wise  fail  thee"   (13:5). 

''I  know  not  where  his  islands  lift 
Their  fronded  palms  in  air; 
I  only  know  I  cannot  drift 
Beyond  his  love  and  care." 

These  are  the  jeweled  beads  in  the  priceless  chain 
of  Christian  brotherhood,  hospitality,  sympathy, 
home  happiness,   and  contentment. 

Suggestion:  The  quotation,  "I  will  in  no  wise 
fail  thee;  neither  will  I  in  any  wise  forsake  thee," 
is  found  word  for  word  in  Philo.  Is  it  found  in  the 
Old  Testament?  (See  Deut.  31:6-8;  I  Chron. 
28:20.) 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE        183 
II.  The  Challenge  of  Loyalty  (13:7-14) 

Memory  Verse  :  13:8 

"Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day, 
yea  and  for  ever." 

The  author  challenges  his  readers  to  be  loyal  to 
their  past. 

In  the  first  place  he  presents  to  them  the  claim 
of  their  former  teachers.  The  men  who  gave  them 
the  Gospel,  and  who  had  passed  to  their  great  re- 
ward, and  claimed  their  loyalty.  They  were  men 
of  God  and  worthy  of  imitation.  They  sealed  their 
testimony  in  life  and  in  death. 

In  the  second  place  he  claims  from  them  loyalty 
to  the  teaching  of  their  first  leaders.  "Jesus  Christ 
is  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day,  yea  and  for  ever" 
(13:8).  Jesus  is  changeless.  Time  may  change. 
Nations  may  change.  Creeds  may  change.  Christ 
is  the  abiding,  the  changeless  one.  To  be  carried 
away  by  divers  and  strange  teachings  is  disloyalty 
to  Him.    Edwin  Arnold  said: 

'Now  he  is  dead ;  far  hence  he  lies, 
In  the  lone  Syrian  town; 
And  on  his  head  with  shining  eyes, 
The  Syrian  stars  look  down." 

That  is  poetry  but  it  is  not  history  and  it  is  not 


184  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

truth.  He  is  the  living  Christ.  From  Arnold  turn 
to  Tennyson.  You  will  remember  the  familiar  lines 
of  Tennyson  about  the  Christian  nurse,  who,  in  her 
anxiety  to  save  a  little  lad's  life  after  the  unbelieving 
surgeon  had  told  her  that  the  lad  would  need  little 
more  of  her  care,  replied  that  they  "should  seek  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  prayer."  The  surgeon  turned  upon 
his  heel  muttering  to  himself,  and  she  thought  she 
heard  him  say,  "All  very  well,  but  the  good  Lord 
Jesus  has  had  his  day."  Then  her  love  began  to 
burn  and  she  cried: 

"Had  ?    Has  it  come  ?    It  has  only  dawned ! 

It  will  come  by  and  by. 
O  how  could  I  serve  in  the  wards 

If  the  hope  of  the  world  were  a  lie  ? 
How  could  I  bear  with  the  sights 

And  the  loathsome  smells  of  disease 
But  that  He  said,  'Ye  do  it  to  Me, 

When  ye  do  it  unto  these.'  " 

There  are  thousands  such  who  can  testify  to  the 
present  power  of  a  living  Christ.  For  his  sake  they 
endure  the  darkness,  bear  the  drudgery,  carry  the 
cross,  dwell  in  exile  and  loneliness,  yes,  and  suffer 
the  loss  of  all  things.  The  miracle  of  yesterday  is 
being  wrought  at  our  own  door  to-day. 

The  author  warns  his  readers  that  loyalty  to  Christ 
will  be  costly.     He,  however,  shows  from  the  Old 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE         185 

Testament  dispensation  that  loyalty  has  always  de- 
manded a  high  price. 

The  bodies  of  animals  offered  as  sacrifices  for 
sin  were  burned  "without  the  camp"  (13:11).  In 
like  manner  Jesus  "suffered  without  the  gate" 
(13:12).  If  they  are  to  follow  Him  in  all  love  and 
loyalty,  they  will  not  shrink  from  "bearing  his  re- 
proach" and  "go  forth  with  him  without  the  camp" 
(13:13).  Those  who  remain  within  the  ancient  city 
must  cling  to  the  past  with  its  imperfect  fellowship, 
and  its  failure  to  satisfy  the  heart.  With  Christ, 
"without  the  camp"  we  find  another  city,  "an  abiding 
city"  (13:14),  where  fellowship  is  perfected  and  the 
heart  is  satisfied.  In  that  city  of  God  the  true  wor- 
shipper finds  "an  altar"  (13:10)  where  he  may  eat, 
not  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but  the  true  bread  of 
God  of  which  when  a  man  eats  he  never  hungers 
again. 

This  passage  is  among  the  finest  in  the  whole  Epis- 
tle and  is  a  sort  of  Christian  climax  to  all  the  won- 
derful interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament  system 
in  the  terms  of  Christianity.  Professor  Peake  has 
aptly  summed  up  the  message  in  these  words: 

"That  Jesus  suffered  without  the  gate  was  to  the 
author  very  suggestive.  It  not  only  assimilated  his 
sacrifice  to  that  of  the  Day  of  Atonement,  it  was  a 
fit  symbol  that  Jerusalem  had  thrust  him  out,  by 
dooming  him  to  the  'reproach'  of  an  outlaw's  death. 


186  THE  SUPEEME  GOSPEL 

and  a  death  pronounced  accursed  in  the  law  (Deut. 
21 :23).  Henceforth  he  was  homeless  on  earth.  But 
that  system  which  made  him  an  alien  can  be  no  home 
for  his  followers :  they  too  must  break  with  Judaism, 
and  bear  with  him  the  ignominy  of  the  cross.  And 
we  may  be  well  content  to  be  outcasts,  homeless  as 
they  made  him,  for  it  is  not  on  earth  that  we  have 
'an  abiding  city.'  On  earth  there  can  be  no  such 
permanent  abode  for  those  whose  true  home  is  in  the 
unseen,  and  who  know  themselves  to  be  pilgrims 
and  strangers.  The}''  know,  too,  that  soon  heaven 
and  earth  will  be  shaken,  and  no  material  city  can 
survive  that  convulsion  of  the  universe." 

Suggestion  :  Try  to  interpret  the  words  of  13 :10, 
"we  have  an  altar,"  in  terms  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. 

III.  The  Challenge  of  Sacrifice  (13:15-16) 

Memoky  Verse:  13:15 

"Through  Him  then  let  us  offer  up  a  sacrifice  of 
praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  lips 
which  make  confession  to  his  name." 

The  meaning  of  these  verses  is  very  plain.  While 
sacrifice,  the  never  ceasing  sacrifice  of  the  Jewish 
religion,  has  been  done  away  through  the  sacrifice 
of  Jesus,  yet  sacrifice  still  claims  a  place  in  the 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE         187 

Christian  faith.  The  form  has  vanished  forever ;  the 
principle  remains.  What  then  is  meant  by  the  Chris- 
tian sacrifice  ? 

1.  In  the  first  place  Christians  are  called  upon  to 
offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  continually  (13:15). 
This  is  a  sacrifice,  which  like  the  sin  offering  of  the 
Old  Testament,  must  never  cease.  It  is  the  sacrifice 
of  gratitude,  of  thanksgiving,  for  the  gift  of  his 
love  in  Christ.  It  is  the  sacrifice  which  belongs  to 
the  Pauline  order.  "God  forbid  that  I  should  glory 
save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through 
which  the  world  hath  been  crucified  unto  me,  and  I 
unto  the  world"  (Gal.  6:14). 

2.  In  the  second  place,  the  Christian  offers  on  the 
altar  of  his  love  the  sacrifice  of  service.  "To  do 
good  and  to  communicate  forget  not"  (13:16).  It 
is  sublimely  simple. 

"So  many  gods,  so  many  creeds. 
So  many  paths  that  wind  around, 
And  yet  the  art  of  being  kind. 
Is  all  this  old  world  needs." 

It  is  a  return  as  it  were  to  the  cry  of  the  proph- 
ets: "Bring  no  more  vain  oblations;  incense  is  an 
abomination  unto  me;  new  moon  and  sabbath,  the 
calling  of  assemblies — I  cannot  away  with  iniquity 
and  the  solemn  meeting.  Your  new  moons  and  your 
appointed  feasts  my  soul  hateth,  they  are  a  trouble 


188  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

unto  me;  I  am  weary  of  hearing  them.  And  when 
ye  spread  forth  your  hands,  I  will  hide  mine  eyes 
from  you;  yea,  when  ye  make  many  prayers,  I  will 
not  hear:  your  hands  are  full  of  blood.  Wash  you, 
make  you  clean;  put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings 
from  before  mine  eyes ;  cease  to  do  evil ;  learn  to  do 
well;  seek  justice,  relieve  the  oppressed,  judge  the 
fatherless,  plead  for  the  widow.  Come  now,  and  let 
us  reason  together,  saith  Jehovah :  though  your  sins 
be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow,  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool" 
(Isa.  1:13-18).  It  is  the  same  thought  which 
Paul  brought  home  to  the  hearts  of  his  converts. 
"I  beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy, 
acceptable  to  God,  which  is  your  spiritual  service" 
(Rom.  12:1).  Christian  sacrifice  is  the  surrender 
of  one's  will,  one's  self  to  God.  In  one  of  his  early 
letters  Marcus  Dods  says : 

"It  is  indeed  a  life  of  self-denial,  this,  and  I  feci 
as  if  now  for  the  first  time  I  had  even  a  dim  view  of 
what  it  is  to  be  not  one's  own,  to  me  a  heart-rending 
lesson,  a  long  and  bitter  lesson,  one  I  would  gladly 
exchange  for  fasting,  or  scourging,  or  what  asceticism 
you  will.  Let  me  keep  my  own  will,  let  me  be  my 
own,  aim  at  my  own  idea  of  holiness,  aid  myself 
with  my  own  props,  and  I  would  do  most  things. 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE         189 

But  this  is  the  bard  thing  to  learn,  that  in  everything, 
from  this  moment  for  ever,  I  am  not  only  not  to  get 
my  ovi^n  will,  but  I  am  to  desire  not  to  get  my  own 
will,  to  will  to  be  controlled  by  another  wholly  and 
unceasingly.  This  has  to  me  at  times  all  the  pain  of 
dissolution.     It  is  indeed  a  dying  to  this  world." 

"Death  ends  indeed  the  cares  of  life. 

Yet  shudders  life  when  death  comes  near, 
And  such  the  fond  heart's  death-like  strife 
When  first  the  loved  one  does  appear. 

For,  where  true  love  is  wakened,  dies 
The  tyrant  self,  that  despot  dark. 

Rejoice  then  that  in  death  he  lies, 

And  breathe  morn's  free  air,  with  the  lark." 

What  marvelous  application  do  these  principles 
of  the  cross  obtain  from  the  sacrifice  of  the  thousands 
upon  the  blood-stained  fields  of  Europe  ! 

These  then  are  the  sacrifices  which  please  God — 
towards  God  a  thankful  heart,  and  towards  men  a 
kindly  spirit  which  ministers  through  personal  sym- 
pathy and  through  wealth  to  the  needs  of  life. 

Suggestion:  Interpret  to  your  own  heart  the 
words,  "God  is  well  pleased."  According  to  the 
Epistle,  God  is  pleased  with  two  things:  (1)  faith 
(11:5),  (2)  sacrifice  (13:16).  Compare  with  John 
8:29,  Rom.  15:3,  Heb.  13:21. 


190  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

IV.  The  Challenge  of  Obedience  (13:17) 

Memoky  Veese:  13:17 

"Obey  them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  sub- 
mit to  them :  for  they  watch  in  behalf  of  your  souls, 
as  they  that  shall  give  account ;  that  they  may  do  this 
with  joy,  and  not  with  grief:  for  this  were  unprofit- 
able for  you." 

The  author  had  challenged  the  Hebrew  Christians 
to  loyalty  to  their  past  leaders ;  he  now  claims  from 
them  obedience  to  their  present  teachers.  The  author 
seems  to  be  in  absolute  accord  with  their  present 
leaders.  If  failure  should  come  it  would  not  be  be- 
cause of  lack  of  fidelity  on  the  part  of  the  ministry. 
The  failure  would  come  from  the  laity.  It  would  not 
be  a  failure  of  the  pulpit,  but  of  the  pew;  a  failure 
not  of  teaching,  but  of  practice. 

What  a  beautiful  outline  the  author  here  gives  of 
the  work  of  a  true  pastor. 

1.  A  true  pastor  in  the  church  of  God  is  a  leader. 
He  must  be  followed  if  the  goal  is  to  be  reached. 

2.  A  true  pastor  is  a  shepherd.  Like  the  Bethle- 
hem shepherds,  he  keeps  watch  over  his  sheep  by 
night,  as  well  as  by  day.  He  watches  in  behalf  of 
the  souls  of  men. 

3.  A  true  pastor  is  a  servant.  He  too  serves  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.     Some  day  he  must  give  an  ao- 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE        191 

count  of  his  stewardship.  If  success  crowned  his 
efforts,  jo  J  would  be  his  reward.  If  he  failed,  his 
heart  would  be  bowed  in  grief. 

It  is  said  of  Melville,  that  sometimes  in  the  night, 
his  wife  would  find  him  on  his  knees,  even  in  the 
coldest  night  of  winter,  and  when  she  urged  him 
to  return  to  bed  he  would  say,  ''I  have  got  fifteen 
hundred  souls  in  my  charge  and  I  fear  that  it  is  going 
ill  Avith  some  of  them."  It  is  of  such  shepherds  the 
author  speaks  when  he  calls  Christians  to  obedience. 

Suggestion  :  Note  the  word  "grief."  The  mar- 
ginal reading  is  "gToaning."  Call  to  mind  the  words 
of  the  saintly  Samuel  Rutherford,  "Anworth  is  not 
a  large  parish,  but  it  is  my  parish,  and  all  the  people 
in  it  have  not  yet  given  their  hearts  to  the  Lord." 

"O  if  one  soul  from  Anworth, 
Meet  me  at  God's  right  hand ; 
My  heaven  will  be  two  heavens 
In  Immanuel's  land." 

V.  The  Challenge  of  Prayer  (13:18-21) 

Memory  Veeses:  13:20-21 

"Now  the  God  of  peace,  who  brought  again  from 
the  dead  the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep  with  the 
blood  of  the  eternal  covenant,  even  our  Lord  Jesus, 
make  you  perfect  in  every  good  thing  to  do  his  will, 


192  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

working  in  us  that  which  is  well-pleasing  in  his  sight, 
through  Jesus  Christ ;  to  whom  be  the  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.    Amen." 

When  argument  ceases,  prayer  begins.  When  ar- 
gument fails,  prayer  succeeds.  The  author  has  said 
all  he  can  say.  His  last  appeal  is  to  the  power  of 
prayer. 

1.  He  asks  first  of  all  their  prayers  for  him.  (a) 
Prayer  is  a  great  pacifier.  The  finest  seal  of  true 
friendship.  Praying  even  for  enemies  soon  converts 
them  into  friends.  How  can  one  go  on  praying  for 
an  enemy !  Prayer  is  the  secret  seal  of  mutual 
fellowship.  It  breaks  down  suspicion  and  criticism 
within  its  atmosphere.  (h)  Prayer  is  the  great 
power  with  God  and  with  men.  Prayer  does  things. 
Prayer  will  effect  the  speedier  arrival  of  the  author 
(13:19).  Let  us  believe  and  act  upon  the  word  that 
"more  things  are  wrought  by  prayer  than  this  world 
dreams  of." 

2.  He,  in  turn,  prays  for  them.  Among  all  the 
prayers  of  the  Bible,  none  is  so  sweet,  so  beautiful, 
so  appealing,  as  this  short  simple  supplication  for 
the  people  whom  he  had  exhorted,  cautioned,  warned, 
and  whom  he  loved  (13:20,21).  It  touched  gently 
and  tenderly  upon  their  own  gTeat  needs  and  lifted 
them  up  into  the  very  presence  of  God. 

Here  all  dissension  and  arguments  are  hushed. 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE         193 

God  is  ''the  God  of  peace."     When  he  comes  the 
storms  are  quiet. 

"Thou  shalt  know  Him  when  He  comes, 
Not  by  din  of  drums, 
Not  by  anything  He  wears. 
Nor  his  airs ; 

But  He  shall  well  known  be. 
By  the  holy  harmony, 
Which  his  coming  wakes  in  thee." 

Here  all  doubt  and  misgiving  disappear.  He  is 
"the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep,"  and  even  as  he 
brought  Jesus  up  from  the  dead,  so  he  will  perfect 
life.  He  cannot  fail.  Where  the  great  shepherd 
leads,  we  can  safely  follow.  Even  in  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death  we  need  fear  no  evil. 

Two  notes  may  be  added.  (1)  This  is  the  only 
reference  in  the  Epistle  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
(2)  This  prayer  so  mingles  the  name  of  "the  God  of 
peace"  and  that  of  "the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep" 
that  it  is  diflScult  to  say  to  whom  the  doxology  is  ad- 
dressed. It  is  the  author's  unconscious  identifica- 
tion of  Jesus  with  God,  and  the  recognition  of  his 
Deity. 

Suggestion:  The  end  of  all  prayer  is  to  do  his 
will  (13:21).  The  sum  of  all  true  prayer  is  "thy 
will,  not  mine,  be  done."    If  we  understood  the  won- 


194  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

derful  beauty  of  God's  will  for  us,  we  would  not 
hesitate  to  make  this  prayer  ours. 

"God  is  love;  to  do  his  will  is  to  scatter  love  in 
handfuls  of  blessing  on  a  weary  world.  God  is  light ; 
to  do  his  will  is  to  tread  a  path  that  shines  more 
and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  God  is  life;  to  do 
his  will  is  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  live  forever, 
and  to  drink  deep  draughts  of  the  more  abundant  life 
which  Jesus  gives.  God  is  the  God  of  hope;  to  do 
his  will  is  to  be  full  of  all  joy  and  peace,  and  to 
abound  in  hope.  God  is  the  God  of  all  comfort;  to 
do  his  will  is  to  be  comforted  in  all  our  tribulation 
by  the  tender  love  of  a  mother.  God  is  the  God  of 
peace;  to  do  his  will  is  to  learn  the  secret  inner 
calm,  which  no  storm  can  reach,  no  tempest  ruffle. 
God  is  the  God  of  truth;  to  do  his  will  is  to  be  on 
the  winning  side,  and  to  be  assured  of  the  time  when 
He  will  bring  out  our  righteousness  as  the  light,  and 
our  judgment  as  the  noonday." — Meyer. 

VI.  The  Challenge  of  Friendship  (13:22-25) 

Memory  Vekse  :  13 :25 

"Grace  be  with  you  all.    Amen." 

The  Epistle  closes  with  a  few  friendly  words  of 
salutation. 

He  asks  his  readers  to  accept  what  he  has  written 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE         195 

as  "a  word  of  exhortation."  He  would  not  have  them 
think  that  he  had  been  disputing  or  even  arguing 
with  them.  He  is  acting  just  as  any  true  friend 
would  act. 

He  speaks  of  his  letter  as  short.  It  is  "a  letter 
unto  you  in  few  words."  In  reality  it  is  short.  Pro- 
fessor Moulton  says  it  can  be  read  aloud  in  less  than 
an  hour.  In  view  of  the  seriousness  of  the  situation 
it  is  all  too  short  and  will  be  supplemented  later 
by  a  personal  appeal. 

He,  himself,  will  soon  pay  them  a  visit  and  bring 
with  him  "brother  Timothy"  who  has  been  given 
his  liberty.  We  do  not  know  the  circumstances  of 
Timothy's  imprisonment,  but  we  appreciate  the  per- 
sonal friendly  touch.  Timothy  is  brother  both  to  him 
and  to  them,  and  is  as  it  were  a  bond  of  Christian 
friendship  between  them. 

To  their  teachers,  and  to  the  brethren,  "the  saints," 
he  sends  cordial  love  and  Christian  greeting,  and  the 
Christian  Italians  who  are  with  him  unite  in  saluta- 
tion of  Christian  fellowship  and  prayer.  The  Epistle 
closes  with  the  short  benediction,  "Grace  be  with  you 
all.  Amen."  (See  Titus  3:15;  Col.  4:18;  I  Tim. 
6:21;  II  Tim.  4:22.)  The  author  leaves  them  in 
God's  keeping,  confident  that  the  gracious  God,  the 
ever-giving  God,  will  fulfill  in  them  his  blessed  pur- 
pose. 


196  THE  SUPREME  GOSPEL 

"Plenteous  grace  with  Thee  is  found, 

Grace  to  cover  all  my  sin; 
Let  the  healing  streams  abound; 

Make  and  keep  me  pure  within. 
Thou  of  life  the  fountain  art, 

Freely  let  me  take  of  Thee ; 
Spring  Thou  up  within  my  heart, 

Eise  to  all  eternity. 

Suggestion:  Can  you  as  you  close  the  study  of 
this  book  assent  to  the  conclusion  of  Matthew  Henry  ? 
— "It  must  be  acknowledged  that  there  are  many 
things  in  this  Epistle  hard  to  be  understood,  but  the 
sweetness  we  will  find  therein  will  make  us  abundant 
amends  for  all  the  pains  we  take  to  understand  it. 
And  indeed,  if  we  compare  all  the  Epistles  of  the 
!N'ew  Testament,  we  shall  not  find  any  of  them  more 
replenished  with  divine,  heavenly  matter  than  this 
to  the  Hebrews." 

VII.  The  Supreme  Challenge — Summary 

1.  Endeavor  to  make  the  memory  verses  your  own 
for  all  time. 

2.  Give  in  brief  review  the  outline  of  the  entire 
Epistle. 

3.  Is  this  last  chapter  an  anti-climax? 

4.  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  Epistle  towards 
hospitality,  the  home,  wealth  ? 


THE  SUPREME  CHALLENGE        107 

5.  What  is  the  author's  idea  as  to  the  true  relation 
of  pastor  and  people? 

6.  What  attitude  should  Christians  observe  con- 
cerning the  past  ? 

7.  What  is  the  Christian  view  of  sacrifice  ? 

8.  What  value  is  attributed  to  prayer  in  the  Epis- 
tle? 

9.  What  position  does  the  author  take  concerning 
the  Deity  of  Christ  ? 

10.  Have  you  come  to  any  definite  idea  as  to  the- 
authorship  of  the  Epistle  ? 

11.  Is  the  emphasis  of  the  Epistle  upon  doctrine 
or  upon  deed? 

12.  Why  is  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  supreme  ? 

Studies  of  Words  in  Chapter  13 

Brotherly  love  (1)  Communicate  (16) 

Content  (5)  Unprofitable  (17) 

The  word  of  God  (7)  An  everlasting  covenant 

Conversation  (7)  (20) 

Altar  (10)  Exhortation  (22) 

Reproach  (13)  Saints  (24) 

Ptapet 

Almighty  God,  Who  hast  bestowed  thy  Word  upon 
us,  grant  unto  us  grace  rightly  to  understand  it. 


198  THE  SUPKEME  GOSPEL 

Save  us  from  using  thy  Word  deceitfully,  from 
wresting  it  to  serve  our  own  purpose,  from  being 
in  bondage  to  the  letter  whilst  we  neglect  the  spirit ; 
and  grant  that,  searching  the  Scriptures  diligently, 
we  may  find  in  them  their  testimony  to  Christ,  and 
beholding  his  glory,  reflected  in  them,  may  be  changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 

— A  Boole  of  Common  Order. 


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Date  Due 


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